


Entropy

by Angel_of_Mysteries, Prettykitty473



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: ....aaaand now it has a plot, Dipper's parents are horrible, Dub-con content in Chapter 18, Human!Bill, Human!Demon-Tad in future chapters, I'm Going To Hell For This, Mild Gore, Multi, Officially AU or Canon Divergent I guess???????, References to Canon Events, Slight Tad/Dipper, This started out as a non!Plot fic, i'm trash, ohmigods I am so sorry, references to past self harm in chapters 12 13 and 25, sorry about that, violence and character death in chapter 28, which is why I bumped up the rating, who am I kidding it was gonna happen anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2018-03-18 11:55:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 190,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_of_Mysteries/pseuds/Angel_of_Mysteries, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettykitty473/pseuds/Prettykitty473
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summer after high school finds both of the Pines twins back in Gravity Falls, where life picks up as if they'd never left it. Dipper almost immediately finds a new friend in a shady young magician named William that vaguely reminds him of the demon that returned to making his life complicated the night he came back.</p><p>Amidst making deals with the devil and learning how to run the Shack, Dipper finds himself investigating a new threat to the forest and small town that he calls home - one that could bring about the true apocalypse if it isn't stopped.</p><p>STATUS: 33 complete chapters, on hiatus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Ladies and gentlemen!” an overexcited voice called into a microphone at the front of the stage. “I’m proud to present the Piedmont High School class of 2018!”

Mabel Pines smiled brightly with brace-free, pristine white teeth at the audience before continuing her speech. “Before we go on to the more fun stuff, I’d like to read a little something for you guys that I literally wrote last night!”

From his spot beside the other graduates and the empty chair that belonged to his twin, Dipper smiled at her enthusiasm. How she’d managed to pull the spot of valedictorian, he’d never know. His eyes briefly caught hers and he smiled wider and gave her a thumbs up.

She cleared her throat, then began the poem that she’d recited about a million times in front of the mirror the night before.

“Farewell to my greatest comrades –

The years have been many, and the struggle long.

The wise ones still doubt we’ll go very far –

But that’s okay, I promise we’ll prove them wrong.

As you go on into the unknown,

A piece of advice to carry you home –

Love comes and goes, it dies and we grow.

There’s uncertainty around every corner,

And demons to make you falter.

Never forget though –

No matter how you think it,

You’re never alone.”

Applause rang out as Mabel finished her speech, but quickly died when she pulled out a device that strongly resembled a mix between a gun and a cannon.

Dipper knew better though, and his grin was the only one that remained as she pulled the trigger back.

“Confetti time!” She screamed, releasing. A large burst of confetti shot from the cannon and scattered over the crowd. “Thank you Piedmont!”

She flounced quickly back to her seat, her smile about a mile wide at that point. The audience clapped again, though less enthusiastic than before.

The ceremony went on, and finally came the time for names to be called and students to receive their diplomas.

Dipper relaxed in his seat and lightly closed his eyes, knowing that Mabel was far too high from Mabel Juice to let him completely let him fall asleep.

Surely enough, it seemed like only a few seconds had passed before Mabel was gently shaking his arm. “Dipper,” she whispered as he blinked his eyes open. “Our row is next.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled back, shaking his head slightly to ease the sleep from it and sitting up straighter.

Only a moment more passed before his entire row stood and filed over to the steps leading onto the stage, his luck making him the first to go.

“Dipper Pines!” His name was called over the microphone and he took a jolting step forward in response, everything suddenly feeling like a dream.

Time slowed as he stepped forward and seemed to stop as he shook his principal’s hand and murmured a thank you.

He looked over to the crowd and quickly found the section his parents were seated in. They were next to Grunkle Stan and Grandpa Stanley, and between the two older twins sat a guy around his age with a wide smile on his young face.

The teen had scruffy blonde hair that covered one eye, and the other was a cerulean color, the brightest blue he’d ever seen on a male.

He smirked and quickly blinked when he caught Dipper’s eye, though he could have sworn that he had winked at him.

Time sped up again, and he looked back at his principal and gave him one last nod, then walked off in time to hear his sister’s name get called. A few moments passed and a resounding whoop from his twin echoed around the auditorium as he took his seat.

Mabel joined him quickly, her face slightly flushed from the pure excitement and energy that he was sure was coursing through her system.

“We did it Bro Bro!” she whisper-yelled enthusiastically, shaking him a little. “Wasn’t my speech badass? And the confetti? They loved me! Best valedictorian speech ever given!”

“It was,” he agreed hollowly, glancing back toward where his family was seated, noting that the mysterious teen was gone. Had that all been in his head? Who was he?

He looked back at Mabel to see that she was frowning and gave her a small smile in reconciliation. “Sorry, I thought I saw something funny when I was on the stage.”

“Ooh! Like what?” Mabel asked, scooting her chair closer to his so they could talk quieter.

“It was just some guy,” he replied despondently, brushing off the incident. “He looked like he was sitting with Grandpa Stanley and Grunkle Stan though, which is why it was so weird.”

His twin giggled quietly, “you dummy! They brought somebody with them because he really wanted to see us graduate! When I talked to Grunkle Stan, he wouldn’t tell me much besides the fact that the kid’s been staying and working at the shack since the beginning of the year.”

“Did you catch a name?” he asked her curiously, glancing over at the audience again.

She shook her head, “no, but we’ll be properly introduced to him on the way to Gravity Falls. I’m so excited to go back!”

The last of the graduates filed over to their spots, and a moment later the rest of the class stood on their cue. Dipper felt a small rush of excitement wash over him as he finally realized that _this was it_. After the next half hour, he would no longer have to get up for school ever again, that after today he would be officially recognized as an adult.

“Class of 2019,” the principal began solemnly, though there was a smile on his face. “This is the last act you will perform as Piedmont High students, and these are the last instructions you’ll receive from me.”

“The turning of the tassels symbolizes one’s transition from candidate to graduate. And in this act, you are taking an oath to yourself and to your community. The oath states as follows: We vow never to disgrace our city or ourselves by being cowardly and dishonest. We will continue to strive toward the sacred ideals that we hold dear. We will respect and obey the city’s laws and we will do our best to inspire others to do the same. In all these ways, we create a better, brighter place for ourselves, and for those who will come after us. I would now like to ask the graduating class of 2018 to turn your tassels from right to left.”

Mabel and Dipper switched their tassels at the exact same time. As they caught one another’s eye they quickly fistbumped and tossed their caps into the air, much like their classmates were. The audience cheered enthusiastically and some of the more outgoing seniors, Mabel included, whistled back to them.

It took a while for the crowd to begin dispersing and for the twins to make their way over to their family. The blond-haired teen was back, Dipper noticed, and he was wearing his seemingly ever-present smirk again.

“Dipper Pines!” the teen exclaimed in a voice that was oddly high for a male his age. “It’s great to finally meet you!” He held out a hand and Dipper hesitantly took it.

It was like something electric, the sensation Dipper got from holding his hand. He found that, like with the male’s voice, he didn’t completely mind.

“I’m Dipper,” he started awkwardly, “but you already knew that.”

“I just couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that you’d be coming to stay at the shack for the summer!” The teen continued enigmatically. “I thought to myself – finally! Another interesting person to roam the woods with!”

“Yeah…” he let the thought trail off, finally letting go of the teen’s hand. “Look, I’m sorry, but who are you?”

The question didn’t deter him, rather, his smile grew wider. “My name’s William! Your great uncle hired me to work for him a while back and told me that I could stay in the shack. I was thinking that we’d be roommates for the summer, but Stanley said that you and Mabel are used to sharing. It’s not the biggest problem though, I just kinda built my own home at the edge of the woods.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Dipper replied cordially, thinking. It’d been a year since he and Mabel had last shared a room, and he wasn’t even sure that she would want to this year.

Thinking of his twin…where was she anyway? He looked around and found her chattering animatedly to Grunkle Stan. She pulled out the confetti cannon that she’d went and modified last summer, and he laughed heartily and ruffled her hair.

“She’s quite a gal,” William said quietly from his place beside Dipper. “Are you going to miss her when she goes to ULA?”

He nodded. “Of course, but…” he hesitated. Did he really want to completely reveal a secret of Mabel’s to a guy he’d only just met? He settled for a half-truth and continued. “A friend of hers is going too, and Mabel worked really hard to get in. I’m too happy for her to really be very upset.”

“It makes sense,” William mused, nodding slowly. “And what about you? What college will you be attending?”

He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Well…”

“Dipper hasn’t decided yet!” Mabel interjected, appearing seemingly from out of nowhere. “Have you Bro Bro?”

He shot her a grateful smile and shook his head. In reality, that was half the reason he was going to Gravity Falls in the first place.

“Hello,” William said politely to Mabel, his grin wide again. “That was some speech you made there.”

“Thanks!” Mabel beamed at him, smiling back brightly. “It’s great to meet you William!”

“The same to you!” he replied enthusiastically. “I heard that you have a knack for making some pretty fancy sweaters and it tends to get pretty cold in the winter. Do you think you can make me a few?”

She nodded quickly, her eyes lighting up with more euphoria than she’d had all week. “Of course! I’ll make you one for every cold day of the year!”

“Oh,” he laughed in an almost awkward fashion, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly much like Dipper had. “That won’t be nece-”

“Nonsense!” Mabel cut in, waving her hand dismissively. “It won’t be a problem and besides – we can’t have you wearing a single sweater twice within the same year span!”

“Don’t try to defy her,” Dipper warned, a slight smirk crossing his lips. “It won’t end very well.” With that being said, he walked over to the rest of his family, allowing Mabel some time to brainstorm sweater ideas with William.

“…And as hard as it is to say this, I’m actually kinda proud of him,” Grunkle Stan was saying to his parents. “He’ll be useful when it comes to running the shop this summer.”

Even though his parents were proud of him graduating with honors and all, his Grunkle’s plan to teach him how to run the shop was frowned upon and had often been the subject of many late night arguments over the last year.

“He probably won’t be able to stay very long,” his father pointed out, half scowling. “Freshman orientation for Harvard starts pretty early into the summer.”

“Actually, I’d love to run the shack,” Dipper input as he walked up to them. “So long as I get a pay raise, it’ll be a good use of time.”

“You’ll miss orientation,” his father reiterated through gritted teeth.

“That’s for summer classes,” he retaliated, shooting his father a small glare. “Fall class orientation doesn’t start until the end of July.”

“We should start heading out to Dustee’s,” his mom cut in, checking her watch. “Our reservations are at 7:30 and their management doesn’t tolerate lateness.”

Dipper sighed, “I’ll go get Mabel…”

He turned to go fetch them but to his surprise, they were already headed over, Mabel grinning excitedly and William gazing down at her with something that looked akin to affection in his eyes.

“Did the sweater planning go _that_ well?” he asked skeptically the second she was within hearing range. She glanced at William mysteriously then nodded her head, her smile widening.

“Awesome,” he muttered under his breath, glancing at the duo. Mabel had already confided in Dipper about her feelings for Pacifica Northwest a long time ago, so what was she playing at? Unless it would spin off into some sort of attempt to make the rich girl jealous, it seemed like she was going back to her old boy crazy habits.

“Mabel here was just telling me about your old crush on that red-headed cashier girl,” William teased, blinking as rapidly as he had done earlier. This time, he was sure that it was a wink.

He flushed and looked down, embarrassed that the Wendy subject had been brought up to the stranger so quickly. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “I’m over it though.”

 _Way over it,_ he thought hollowly, thinking of the last time he’d seen Wendy – they hadn’t been on the best of terms. He _hated_ fighting with her, but the mysteries of Gravity Falls were too important for him to just let it go. _Obsessed,_ she’d snapped at him before storming out of the shack.

He shook the memory away at the sensation of a tugging on his graduation robe’s sleeve. Mabel had gone over to the rest of the family already, leaving William to stare at him curiously.

“Something wrong?” the blond asked in a concerned tone.

“It’s nothing,” he murmured, shrugging off the question and walking over to where the rest of the family was. “Just an old memory.”

Luckily for him, the teen didn’t say anything else.

* * *

“This is a pretty nice place you’ve got here!” William commented as the remainder of the Pines family pulled into the driveway of their gated-community home. “I didn’t think that reserved people such as yourselves lived in such luxury!”

“It took a long time for us to be able to have this,” Dipper told him as he undid his seatbelt and stepped out of the car that he shared with Mabel and the blond-haired teen.

Their parents were already home, and both Stans wanted to set off to Gravity Falls as quickly as possible. William would be staying at the Pines residence for the night so he could accompany them on the journey over to Gravity Falls.

“You should have seen the trailer we were living in before,” Mabel added, stepping out of her spot in the backseat. “Dad got seriously promoted in his job the first summer we went to Gravity Falls and he had this place built while we were gone.”

“So that’s how everything started,” William mused, glancing up at the sky intently. “And you guys just kept going back? You cared about the mysteries that much?”

“You know about that?” Dipper asked him suddenly in a quiet tone, stopping in his tracks and staring unashamedly at him.

William looked down and over to him, smiling widely. “I live in Gravity Falls,” he pointed out. “A person would have to be stupid not to know! Plus, my knowledge of the supernatural has really helped out with the Mystery Tours and everything.”

“It makes sense,” Mabel remarked. “Plus, with Stanley’s immense paranormal knowledge and paranoia, he probably educated Will on the subject when he started the job.”

“Will?” Dipper asked, unimpressed, an odd notion clicking in his mind.

“It’s a nickname I assigned to him,” she told him, bounding up the steps and into the Pines residence. “Short for William.” Dipper shrugged and followed his twin, the aforementioned blond trailing just slightly behind him.

The front hallway of the home was painted a simple cream color and had pristine creamy tiles to match. There was a shelf with a few trinkets sitting on top of it and several coat hooks directly under the shelf. There was a wooden shoe rack on the wall adjacent to the coats, and a frame hanging directly over it containing the most important achievement of the Pines family aside from his father’s promotion – the acceptance of his mother’s first book to be published. She was ecstatic enough about the achievement that she went and bought both Mabel and Dipper both new cars – once the book sales garnished enough funds to support the splurge. In a way, it had been both a graduation present and an 18th birthday present.

“We can just go up to my room,” Dipper told William distractedly, his eyes scanning the home for traces of Mabel. Safely, he assumed that she was already in her room. “Take your shoes off please, but they can be carried up to my room.”

“Not gonna show me around?” the blond asked teasingly, “show me any embarrassing baby pictures?”

He shuddered at the mention of the photos and shook his head, “the tour can wait until before we go tomorrow. You’ll probably get to see more than enough of the place while we wait for the moving truck to get here.”

“That’s how your stuff is going to the Falls?” William asked curiously as he peeled off his shiny black dress shoes. “We’ll be going right after it?”

“Mabel will go first,” Dipper told him as he did the same, then started off toward the spiral staircase that he and Mabel had loved to slide down when they first moved into the new home. “Show the movers the way, and we’ll trail behind to make sure nothing’s amiss. It’ll be a straight drive to there.” He looked back once to make sure the teen was still following him and was slightly relieved when he found that not only was he being followed, his every word was being latched onto with the rapt attention of the blonde.

“This is a _really_ nice house,” William repeated when they got to the second floor that he and his sister occupied together. “You sure you’re not as rich as Pacifica?”

“Positive,” Dipper replied as he walked over to his door and opened it, then walked inside. “We just have some really good connections and a rainy-day fund that my parents never told us about until the day before we went to Grunkle Stan’s for the first time ever. It was also the first time we’d ever heard about his existence,” he added.

The statement earned a grin from William as he strode into Dipper’s room. He whistled lowly, “nice place you’ve got here.”

His room was painted a simple light blue color that matched the color of the cap that he used to wear until it had become too tattered and had to be locked away in his special trunk, where he kept the original Journal 3 and the copies of the first two. His carpet was white, but he tossed a soft black rug over the majority of the carpet once he realized that his parents would be upset if he got it stained, only because it was so new. His bed was in the corner just to the right of the doorway, and his bookshelf rested a few feet away from the footboard, under a flat screen television that was mounted on the wall in the corner. There was a window on the wall right beside his bed, linking his room to Mabel’s. The twins often kept it open, only closing it when they needed their privacy for things like getting changed. There was a simple black daybed near his walk-in closet that William was probably going to sleep on for the night.

Dipper nodded in acknowledgement to the statement, walking over to his walk-in and grabbing two sets of nightclothes. He studied one of the pairs intensely for a moment before holding it out to the other teen. It was a light blue set, with darker blue pine trees all over it, a mocking joke that Mabel had once made of his apparent nickname. “We look about the same size, so this should fit. You can change in here, or the bathroom’s the door straight across the hall. Might wanna knock though – our parents disabled the locking feature after Mabel nearly overdosed on Smile Dip a year or two ago.”

A dark blush crept up his neck as William set the pajamas on his sleeping place for the night and began stripping unabashedly in front of Dipper, a small smirk on his face.

“Okay then,” he squeaked, turning around quickly.

William laughed lightly, “what? You’re a guy – not like you’ve never experienced this before, right?”

“Not really,” he mumbled in reply. “I wasn’t really into sports, so I missed out on the whole athletic deal. Mabel doesn’t count.”

“Awkward…but, it’s safe now. You can turn around.”

Dipper did so, just as William finished fumbling with the last few buttons on the nightshirt. “I’ll be right back,” he mumbled, taking his own pajamas and dashing out of the room, praying that Mabel wasn’t in the bathroom.

He’d just held his fist up to knock when the door opened up to reveal his sister in all of her post-shower drippy-haired glory, looking very surprised to see him. “Hi.”

“He…” Dipper fumbled over his words, the flush that had just disappeared quickly rising up again. “He undressed. In front of me.”

Mabel strode out of the room, grinning wickedly. “Wimp,” she murmured not unsympathetically as she passed, ruffling his hair as she did so. “You make it sound like he tried to kiss you or something.”

His eyes widened at the thought and his face grew darker in embarrassment. He spun around to catch her and ask the question burning on his lips, but she’d already retreated into her room.

He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door quietly, suddenly relieved to be left alone with his thoughts. “He’s not…” he thought aloud as he peeled off his shirt and replaced it with a long nightshirt Mabel had once made for him, a light green with a fully decorated Christmas-themed pine tree on it. “He isn’t gay, right? She would’ve….”

He sighed, “damn it. That’s why she was grinning so much earlier, wasn’t it?”

He was interrupted by a small knock on the door and the sound of William’s voice penetrating the wood. “Are you okay in there? Mabel said something about you not feeling good….she asked me to check on you. Said it was a guy deal or something.”

“Fine,” he called back in as manly of a voice as he could muster as he stepped out of his slacks, leaving his boxers on and mostly covered by the Pine Tree shirt. “Thanks for the concern though.”

 _Damn her,_ he thought viciously as he picked his clothes up and tossed them into the hamper, then opened the door to reveal a worried looking William. _She set that one up on purpose…_

The thought cut off as did most of his air supply when he finally got a good look at William. His scruffy hair that had looked oh-so-perfect at dinner had gotten ruffled, and if that hadn’t been enough to makes his insides turn in and out already, it was the teen’s dress. Or, his lack thereof.

William was still wearing Dipper’s button up nightshirt, but it seemed that he had decided to forego the pants in favor of being in his boxers, much like he was.

The blond leaned against the doorway, his sudden smirk letting Dipper know that he’d been caught staring. “Like the view?” he questioned suggestively.

He stood there for a minute helplessly, his mind too jumbled to form any coherent sentences. “I…” he finally tried, his face growing darker. “I just really don’t feel good.” It ended in a high pitched squeak and William laughed.

“I’m sure,” he told Dipper, grinning in an almost maniac fashion. Nonetheless, he moved and Dipper used the opportunity to flee back to his room where he could hide under the covers in peace.

William walked into his room calmly just moments after he did, still chuckling quietly. “I didn’t think that you were quite so skittish,” he remarked as he settled himself down onto the daybed, snuggling under the few blankets that Mabel had probably left there for him. “It’ll make for a fun summer.”

“Wonderful,” he muttered, his voice muffled from the blankets. He reached up and turned the lights off, closing his eyes in an attempt to shut out the rest of his mind.

 _I’m not gay,_ he told himself firmly. _Mabel just seems to have it in her pointed little head that I am._ It was a lie.

He rolled to his side and turned to face the wall that joined his and Mabel’s room, sighing deeply.

A couple of years ago he’d told Mabel about his…conflict with his sudden attraction to guys. There was a reason he peeled away from society after that, aside from the occasional bully. He found that if he stayed away from everyone else, the odd feelings inside of him did too. Mabel accepted it more than anyone else that he’d told about it, and she sympathized with his plight.

 _Now,_ he mused as he slowly drifted off, _it seems that my eccentric twinling is through her sympathy and is trying to set me up with William._

And strangely enough, he didn’t completely mind.


	2. Chapter 2

“Wakey wakey!”

The loud voice of William was what woke Dipper the next morning at exactly six o’clock on the dot.

“It’s too early for this,” he groaned, blearily opening his eyes.

“Moving truck’s here at ten,” William reminded him, flicking on the lights. Dipper uttered a small shriek and buried his head under his pillow at the sudden intrusion.

“Rise and shine~!” the blonde sang, stealing the covers from over him. “The sun will be out soon and it’s gonna be a beautiful day!”

“You ass!” Dipper hissed, turning over so he could glare at him.

He faltered, taking a long look at him. _Damn,_ he thought, his heart beating just a bit quicker and warmth surging through his blood.

William’s hair was rumpled from being slept in all night, but it only complemented his outfit more, in an odd way. It was then that Dipper got a good look at his right eye, and _how could he not have noticed the fucking eye patch sooner?_

 _It must have been covered,_ he thought. _To avoid any questions or stares._ He quickly glanced down, hoping that William didn’t notice his own staring.

The teen was dressed in a pair of perfectly pressed black slacks that was paired with a white dress shirt and black bowtie. A gold jacket with odd lines etched at the edges of the sleeves, black gloves, and shiny black dress shoes completed the outfit in a way that made Dipper’s hormones spike.

Another gear clicked in his mind then, and he realized that he really needed to talk to Mabel about her matchmaking skills.

He trailed his eyes back up to William’s and found that the teen was wearing that self-satisfied smirk again, which couldn’t be good.

“You seem flustered,” he purred and Dipper momentarily recovered from his shock.

“Coffee!” he blurted out, quickly bolting out bed and hurriedly tugging on some jeans, then dashing out the door. Had William _really_ just _purred?_

Much to his great surprise, when he stepped into the kitchen, there was already a streaming cup waiting for him, just the way he liked it. Had William done this?

“Morning Dip-Dip!” his sister exclaimed from behind him. He jumped and looked over his shoulder to see her smile already about a mile wide.

“Morning,” he grouched sleepily. “Did you do this?”

“Yup!” He smiled gently then, knowing all the hard work she’d put into it. “Will offered to wake you up.”

“Mabes,” he hesitated, unsure if he should spoil her good mood so early on. “…There’s something weird about him.”

He turned around to fully face her, flinching at her crestfallen look. “What do you mean?” Her voice was really quiet and he was already beginning to regret his choice.

He opened his mouth and was about to respond when William’s voice rang out from the hallway just before the kitchen. “Later,” he muttered to her just as the blond stepped in.

“It’s great to see you two awake and looking so refreshed!” he exclaimed, grinning. “Oh, and Mabel, I borrowed some of your Mabel Juice from your pitcher in the fridge. Thought it’d make a nice pick-me-up.”

Mabel smiled back at him, though it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “That’s okay Will, I’m glad to see it worked.” She glanced at Dipper, mischief sparking in her expression. “Now all we need is to convert Dip-Dip, and then we can conquer the universe!”

“Not gonna happen,” he said flatly, downing the rest of his coffee before heading back upstairs to take a shower. If they seriously thought that they could get away with waking him at _six_ in the _effing morning_ and not be faced with grouchiness, then he’d have to confiscate the Mabel Juice and dump it down the toilet.

He gathered up some clothes to wear for the morning, then walked over to the bathroom and shut the door firmly. He stripped down to nothing, quickly estimating that he had maybe half an hour if he was going to put the last of the things he was going to take to Gravity Falls with him into boxes. For sure, the chest with his journals would be.

As the scalding water cascaded onto his hair and rolled down his back, soothing the ever-sore muscles, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander to William.

He had a theory, as he did for almost everything in Gravity Falls, about the strange teenager that had shown up in his life yesterday. First to cross over his mind was the guy’s style of taste – gold and black, like another being that he knew from the Falls. Second was the nickname Mabel had called him – too close to _Bill_ for comfort.

 _It can’t be though,_ he mused as he stepped out of the path of the water, lathering pine scented shampoo into his hair. _No mentions of pain being funny, or the journals. He acted normal around forks and aside from his energy, nothing else is pointing towards him being Bill Cipher. Plus, doesn’t the book hint at him being bound to Gravity Falls? How could he leave?_

After his shower was finished, he got dressed into a simple red tee and blue jean jacket paired with blue jeans, then headed to his room to finish with the packing. He was still tired, but grudgingly had to admit that William had been right; the day was being wasted, and the twins were running out of time to finish their packing.

He wasn’t too terribly surprised to find that while he’d been gone, William had made up his bed for him and had returned the blankets and pillows that he’d been lent by Mabel. It seemed to be a part of his personality, the too-nice and caring streak. There had also been a few empty boxes set on his bed, and for that he was grateful. The elder teen was currently standing at Dipper’s bookshelf, seeming to study the titles on the shelf intently.

He cleared his throat to get the blonde’s attention. “I’m ready to start packing now,” he said quietly.

“Excellent! So where should we begin?” William asked cheerfully, turning around to face him. “I was thinking with your wardrobe, but then I thought that you might like to leave some here for when you come back. There’s a new clothing outlet owned by Pacifica in Gravity Falls, and she said that she made sure to include your style there too.”

“I’ll take most of it,” Dipper said quickly, walking over to his closet and beginning to take a few shirts off of his hangers. He didn’t want to make the fact so known yet that he wouldn’t be returning to Piedmont for a long time.

He took a few more hangers off the rack and tossed the few shirts already freed onto his bed. William made a small noise of indignation and ran over to the discarded garments and immediately started to caringly fold them. Dipper smirked.

“I didn’t think you were so touchy,” he commented, tossing a few more garments over. “They’re just clothes.”

“They’re not!” William exclaimed, clearly offended by his statement. “Your clothes make you who you are, and Pacifica always says that you should take good care of them. Besides, you’ll want them to look nice if you’re going to impress that redhead.”

He almost choked on air at that, and spun around to face the blond. “What part of ‘over it’ didn’t you understand? And since when are you _Pacifica’s_ bitch? I didn’t think the two of you would get along.”

“We don’t,” William grumbled, his good mood finally showing some normal sense of fluctuation. “She just has a point about clothes and fashion.”

“Right,” Dipper muttered, turning back to his task. “And you’re some kind of a secretly flying dorito in a human’s body.” He glanced back out of the corner of his eye to see if it would get some kind of stir out of the teen like the clothing comment had, but he hadn’t seemed fazed. Maybe he was human after all, and the similarities were just some sort of coincidence.

“They don’t exist,” William clarified after a long pause of silence. “The journals never said anything about flying doritos. It mentioned floating eyeballs though, if that’s what you’re thinking of.”

 _He’s looked at the journals,_ he thought, filing the information away in his mind. _It implies some trust between Stanley and William, and Stanley doesn’t trust anyone._

The sun was steadily rising by the time they’d finished packing his room – Dipper taking clothes out of the closet and throwing them behind him once they were off their respective hangers, and William folding said clothes and neatly placing them in the box. It was full by the time they finished.

“You own less than I thought,” William remarked as he closed the box and taped it. “I swear, Mabel has five times as much as you do.”

“She’s also the best friend of Pacifica and makes her own sweaters,” he countered, walking over to his chest and pulling out the key that rested on a chain from under his shirt. “I don’t really care much for fashion.”

“What’s in there?” William asked, his attention diverted to the chest.

 _Bad idea,_ Dipper thought, stowing the key away again. “Just some old childhood memories of mine.”

“They’ve gotta be bad if they’re under lock and key.” Suddenly William’s teasing voice was way too close for comfort and he could feel his face heating up. “What dirty little secrets are you hiding, hmm?”

“Nothing!” he squeaked out, glancing at William. Big mistake.

The teen’s face was only a few inches away from his and it was almost impossible to miss the slightly predatory and very triumphant smirk that ghosted across his lips, or the gleam of hunger radiating in his electric blue eye.

Dipper’s own eyes widened and he stared transfixed for a moment before coming to his senses and backing away quickly. _Yes,_ he decided firmly, standing and averting his gaze to the ground. _Mabel’s gonna hear it later._

As for William….the sooner Dipper got to Oregon and some distance from him….the better it would be for everyone. The blond was laughing quietly to himself and moving about the room, picking up the occasional book and reading the back of the cover in interest. Dipper didn’t quite know _what_ to make of him…one second he was perfectly as normal as was possible for him (as far as Dipper had seen), and the next, he had changed into….whatever he was, and got way too close to him for his comfort. The guy was a mystery, one that Dipper knew would quickly backfire against him if he tried to solve him.

A quick glance at his watch told him that it was nearing eight-thirty and that he’d have to get a move on, at least in the case of helping Mabel pack. His room was simple because he’d taken a lot of his things with him to Gravity Falls the previous summer, when the conflict had first started between him and his parents. Mabel on the other hand….she was going to college in a different state and likely wasn’t going to return home for a while either. Not until she graduated, at least. Everything that she owned was going.

He sat on his bed and moved over to the window, rapping on it a couple of times. There wasn’t an immediate answer, but it was probably because Mabel had her headphones in or something.

“Can you get her attention for me?” he grudgingly asked William, looking at him over his shoulder. “I need to know if she needs help packing.”

“Why not just go over there and ask?” the blond fired back pointedly.

He scowled, knowing that the elder teen had a good point. “You don’t seem to have a problem with undressing in front of others,” he said through gritted teeth. “So it won’t mean anything to you if she’s indecent.” He thought for a moment, then decided that he didn’t like the mental image that projected.

“…On second thought, I’ll do it myself.”

He got up and walked over to Mabel’s room, irritation having long settled in his expression. Instead of knocking on the door like he normally would’ve, he just opened it and strode right in.

He had been right about the headphones. Mabel was sitting on the floor beside her bed in what Dipper deemed as the only clear spot in the room, flipping through what looked like a scrapbook absentmindedly. The rest of her room was completely covered in clothes and the rare book or two.

She finally looked up and gave him a wide smile. “Look, Dipper!” she exclaimed, holding it out to him. “It’s the scrapbook from our first summer with Grunkle Stan!”

He walked over and gently took the book from her, opening it up and leafing through the pages just as slowly as she had. They were filled with doodles, glitter, and an array of stickers, as well as the odd memorabilia from Gravity Falls. There were photos of weird things that he had found, and a page dedicated entirely to the relationship of Waddles and Mabel, which earned a small laugh from him. There was even the page that held his very first chest hair, and the CD from Babba was taped onto the page beside it.

“Those were the good days,” he found himself reminiscing quietly. “Back before life got so complicated.” He settled down beside his sister, flipping the page to another favorite of hers, the one of all the animals affected by the anomaly of the stones in the woods that caused them to either grow or shrink, depending on the light’s color. It featured a photo of a tiny bobcat resting in the palm of her hand, and another of a giant butterfly that had almost killed them after the flash had gone off.

She looked at him, “it won’t be that hard Bro-Bro. We’ll just have to video chat every night when we’re in college and stuff, like Soos and Melody used to before they got married.”

He sighed, “Mabel…”

“Knock knock!” His mother said cheerfully, opening the door and poking her head in. She uttered a small gasp at the sight of Mabel’s room. “You’re not done packing yet? Sweetie, the truck’s going to be here in an hour!”

“Well shit,” Mabel murmured, standing up. “Can you ask William to come in here and help us pack? He seemed to work so well with Dipper earlier…he’s already done!”

He didn’t bother to tell her that there hadn’t been much to pack, and instead opted to grab a box, shove some clothes over, and put it on the newly cleared ground. “Us? Mabel, I’m not gonna help you pack.”

“You already are,” she sing-songed, kissing their mother on the cheek and skipping out of the room.

“Get it done,” his mom told him wearily before retreating back downstairs. He sighed in response and began pushing her clothes into piles to be sorted through and folded – that part, he was sure William was going to do.

Sure enough, the teen let out an almost unearthly shriek the second he saw the clothes and immediately ran over to the center of the Mabel-caused destruction. His sister appeared in the doorway, grinning smugly.

“Knew he’d do it,” she commented.

Dipper sighed, picking up one of his sister’s sweaters. “Come on Mabes. Much as I want to, we can’t leave the whole job to him.”

The three teens sorted through Mabel’s mess as quickly as they could, filling three boxes and taking them downstairs in what was a record speed in Dipper’s opinion - forty-five minutes. By the time they were finished, a lemonade break was warranted and Dipper had the urge to take another shower.

 _As if it’ll take off all the glitter,_ he thought, pulling his shirt off his chest in an attempt to soothe the heated skin.

“Everything else is packed and ready to go?” their dad asked the second Mabel’s foot hit the bottom step for the last time.

She nodded, “yup! It’s a good thing Dipper didn’t need more than a couple of boxes!”

Their dad set a hand gently on her hair and ruffled it affectionately. “I’ll miss you kiddo. Just remember to call home once in a while and visit when you get the chance, okay?”

“I will,” she promised, holding out a pinky.

“Have you set an enrollment date for Harvard yet?”

Dipper groaned mentally as the attention of his father was turned on him. The man had good intentions….but he really needed to give it a rest. “Not yet,” he muttered. “I will, okay?”

“What’cha gonna study there?” William piped up as he contently sipped on a glass of cold, refreshing lemonade.

“Business,” he answered shortly. _If I go, which I won’t._

“That doesn’t sound like fun,” the blond remarked. “Why not study something else?”

“Like me?” Mabel piped up. “I’m going to school for fashion design!”

“Business is practical,” he deadpanned. “Mabel just gets to do the fun stuff because she has talent.”

“Moving truck’s here,” their mom called from the porch, where she’d been anxiously waiting for the past five minutes. “Mabel, sweetie, go ahead and get your car started. The boys will get the stuff into the van.”

“Okay!” Mabel called back, grabbing her keys and purse from the kitchen counter and dashing out the door.

Dipper sighed in resignation. “Guess we better get started then,” he muttered to William, taking a final gulp of his lemonade.

Luckily for him, William didn’t say anything and they got to work. Packing up the truck was a relatively easy job and took only about half an hour for them to complete. While Dipper and William worked, Mabel leaned against her bright pink car and sang along to the music that blared from her speakers. In any other case Dipper would have glared at her, but it made him smile to see her so carefree and full of life.

Mabel was going to have a great time in college, that much he knew. He, on the other hand….he was going to stick around in Gravity Falls and eventually run the Shack, for better or worse. Mabel didn’t know about his plan yet, and he wasn’t too sure that he even wanted to tell her. She wanted for him to be happy, but last summer she had agreed with Wendy – enough was enough.

He was becoming too obsessed, she’d pointed out as she went to bed the night before they’d returned to Piedmont for the last time. He was barely eating, and sleep had practically become a foreign object to him. She’d loved the mystery too…but it was coming to a point where it was too dangerous to his health to continue.

“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice rang through his ears, both bringing him out of his thinking and giving him a major headache. He glanced at her and saw a small frown on her face, her eyes trying to catch his. _Probably worried about me already getting caught up with the town’s mystery._

He grinned for her sake, “I was thinking…tonight sounds like a perfect night for some Attic Golf and a movie marathon.”

It got the reaction that he had hoped for out of her, and she gasped in delight. “With ice cream and popcorn and candy? Can I invite Paz?”

He nodded, and she hugged him tightly. “Thank you!” she squealed in his ear. “The truck is ready, so I’m leaving now Dip-Dip. Bye!”

He had barely any time to lift a hand in goodbye before she was in her car and slowly pulling out of the driveway, heading down the road leisurely so the moving truck could follow.

“That’s that, then,” William decided, sitting down on the front step of the porch after inspecting it for a solid minute. “Should we get going?”

“Not so fast, Dipper,” his father said quietly, stepping forward from his spot beside the door. “Your mother didn’t want us having this conversation while your sister was around, so we’ll have it now.”

He looked down at the ground, knowing exactly what his father was referencing. “Have at, then,” he said weakly.

“I don’t think going to visit your uncle and grandfather this summer is a good idea,” his dad started. “You should be spending your time focusing on college and looking into internships to take for the summer. Not learning how to run some tourist trap in the middle of nowhere.”

Dipper looked up angrily, and was sorry for a moment that William would have to witness this. “The Shack isn’t that bad. You might know that if you ever went down there for a visit. It’s learning how to run a business, which is what you want me to go to college to study.”

“Being down there has made you weird,” his father continued talking as if he hadn’t heard. “You spend all your time researching the ‘paranormal’ instead of going outside and socializing with others your age.” Dipper opened his mouth to make a sharp retort, but didn’t get the chance. “I thought that going to stay with your uncle that first summer would force some kind of manliness into you, but instead you came home more withdrawn than before. If that wasn’t enough,” He turned to look at him with disappointment drawn across his features, “you started liking _boys._ Don’t think I haven’t noticed your restlessness around them when we go out into public, Dipper. At one point I thought that I could help mold you into a strong young man. I was wrong, it seems. You’re a hopeless case.”

It was the definitive blow, enough to make Dipper flinch and close his eyes to keep from crying. The subject of his mixed sexual preferences had never really been acknowledged for the sake of not causing any trouble, but now that he was leaving…it didn’t matter anymore.

There was a light pressure on his shoulder and he looked up with watery eyes to find William looking down at him with sympathy in his eye, and his jaw clenched in what he assumed was anger.

“You’re wrong,” Dipper finally voiced, looking at his father and letting the tears slip down his cheeks. It didn’t matter if his father saw him cry, if he thought that he was weak. “Gravity Falls turned me into a stronger person than you can ever know, and…” his voice cracked as his gaze shifted from his father to his mom, who had stood by the whole time with sorrow in her expression. For god’s sake, why didn’t she _do_ something?

“I’m not going to Harvard,” he finally spat, turning a glare towards his dad. “I’m not going to go to college at all, actually. And I’m not coming back.”

He turned and set off toward the car, William following silently. His mother cried for him to wait, but he didn’t. He could’ve apologized for leaving on such a harsh note, but he wasn’t so sure that he would mean it.

He got into the car, not saying a word to William as the other followed suit. After taking a moment for the car to adjust to running and for him to wipe at his eyes hastily, he backed out of the driveway and peeled down the road as fast as was legally allowed, not looking back once.

They were well behind schedule by the time they finally made it to the interstate, but it didn’t deter him. Mabel would wait up for him to arrive in the worst case scenario, and the long drive would allow him to get his mind off of the disaster of a goodbye he’d just shared with his parents.

“I’m sorry you had to witness all that,” he finally told William quietly, after about an hour. He was surprised that the other had stayed silent for so  long, but appreciated it.

“I’m sorry they said all that to you,” the blonde’s response was even. “What kind of parents are they, putting you down like that?”

“They care about me,” he said quickly. “I know they do…it’s just a tough love sort of deal. Dad’s just so harsh because he wants what’s best for me.”

“He’s not harsh on your sister like that,” William noted, and Dipper caught his serious gaze when he glanced over. “It seems like they favor her. Your father even said, he didn’t want to say those things in front of her.”

“He doesn’t want to break her happiness,” he mumbled, focusing his gaze back onto the road. “It’s okay, because I don’t want him to.”

“You cried,” William said flatly. “It’s messed up that your father is okay with making you cry.”

“He was right though – Gravity Falls did this to me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” William’s voice was suddenly harsh and there was a gentle tug on his heart from it. “You’re Dipper Pines, marvelous teen mystery hunter! You’re an awesome person Pi- Dipper, and they should acknowledge that.”

The car grew silent as William silently fumed and Dipper processed what the blond had just said. Or, rather, what he’d almost said. _Pine Tree. He almost called me Pine Tree, I’m sure of it._ He tapped his finger on the steering wheel absentmindedly. _Can it really be him? I thought the book said he couldn’t leave the Falls...should I say something? But what if I’m wrong?_ He glanced at the other out of the corner of his eye. _If I’m not...What’s his purpose? Why is he here?_ His eyes shifted back onto the road. _Keep silent for now. You don’t know anything for certain._

“Thank you,” he finally said softly. “My parents aren’t going to change their opinions about Gravity Falls though, and they definitely won’t accept the way I choose to go about my life anytime soon.”

“Then that makes them idiots,” came his quiet reply. “For not looking past your choices and seeing the person you are underneath all that. And besides, nobody deserves to be alone in their darkest hour.”

Silence returned, and another hour passed before Dipper noticed that his gas gauge was finally beginning to tick towards the empty line, and he finally had to pull into a small rest stop.

“You hungry?” he asked William, shooting him a small glance.

The blond was fast asleep, snoring lightly. It made him smile and chuckle quietly. If he really was Bill Cipher…some being of endless energy he was!

He walked into the convenient store, looking around in interest. The usual array of snacks were sprawled out everywhere, but this was a sensitive deal.

“Let’s go off the theory that William really is Bill,” he muttered quietly to himself, studying a line of snacks. “What food would he want to eat most?”

His eyes landed on an all-too-familiar bag of chips and he grinned wickedly as he picked it up. “Gotcha,” he whispered to it triumphantly. “If this doesn’t make him reveal himself, nothing will.”

He selected some twizzlers and a bottle of Pepsi for himself, then mused on what ‘William’ would want to drink. “Pitt cola. He couldn’t get enough of the stuff when he was in my body…”

He took the snacks up to the counter, adding thirty onto the bill for the gas. “Have a good night,” he called back cheerfully to the cashier as he exited.

William was blearily rubbing his eyes when Dipper got back to the car. “Where’d you go?” he mumbled sleepily. “I had to wonder if you hadn’t gotten kidnapped by aliens or something.”

Dipper sat down, tossing the bag over into the teen’s lap. “Snack time,” he replied easily, taking one of the twizzlers out of the bag and chewing on the end of it. “I wasn’t too sure what to get you, so I went with a gut feeling.”

“Pitt cola!” William exclaimed, taking the can out of the bag first and popping it open. “My favorite!” He took a quick gulp, then set it down into the cupholder to see what else he’d been gifted with.

“…Doritos,” the blonde finally muttered, his expression growing sour. Dipper grinned triumphantly.

“Do you not like them?” he asked innocently, holding out a twizzler to him.

“Bad experience with these,” William replied as he took the twizzler, plastering a wide smile onto his face. “Oh well. It never hurts to give anything a second chance!” He opened the bag and popped a chip into his mouth and Dipper sighed in resignation.

Their trip resumed as the sun began to set. The last couple of hours went by at a steady pace, filled in by talks of what had happened in Gravity Falls since Dipper and Mabel’s last visit and how much the mystery shack had changed in their absence.

Finally, _finally_ after a year of waiting, Dipper turned off of the highway and onto the back road that would lead him to Gravity Falls and the Mystery Shack. To a lifetime of secrets and mystery.

And when he finally pulled into _his_ spot beside Grunkle Stan’s car and stepped out, the wind seemed to whisper his name as the breeze picked up. A smile stretched across his face as he took in the newly-renovated and surprisingly-larger Mystery Shack and the surrounding forest.

He was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, I'm back! Sorry that I made you all wait so long for the update, but I do it this way to give myself time to catch up - I really don't want to have to go on a hiatus or anything.
> 
> On another note, many thanks go out to Prettykitty473, my lovely and beautiful sister! ^^ She helped me edit this to perfection.


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice came from just inside the shack, alerting him that he likely had only seconds before he was bombarded with a hug. “What took you so long?”

As he predicted, she latched onto him and didn’t let go for a solid minute. “There was a small holdup at home,” he told her, gently prying her arms from his midsection. “Just some last minute things that needed to get cleared up.”

“Dad called,” she finally said awkwardly, averting her gaze. “He yelled a lot at Grunkle Stan…I heard what really happened.”

“I’m fine,” he said automatically, knowing that if he didn’t assert it then, that she would fuss over him the whole night. “I saw it coming from a mile away.”

“Hey Mabel!” William called out cheerfully, thankfully changing the topic for the both of them. “Did you already do all of the unpacking?”

She shook her head, a small smile crossing over her lips. “Our boxes just got put into our room and the rest of my furniture is in the storage room. Grandpa helped.”

“Thanks,” Dipper murmured. “Paz here yet?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “yup! Sorry, but we started Attic Stuff Golf without you.”

“Dipper!” A new voice joined the mix as Pacifica Northwest ran outside to meet them, a golf club in tow. “It’s great to see you again!” She threw her arms around him and he returned the action for a brief moment before pulling away and letting go.

“It’s great to see you too,” he replied honestly. “How’d your parents take the news?”

She rolled her eyes, “as well as can be expected from them. They just dismissed it as usual…but that doesn’t matter. In a few months Mabel and I are going to Los Angeles and they won’t be able to have any say in it!” She looked around and finally noticed William. “Hey Will,” she called out, giving him a small wave. He raised a hand in greeting, but didn’t say anything.

"Hey guys," Dipper yawned, rubbing his eyes, "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll call it a night." The sudden change in state startled him, but he shrugged it off. Maybe getting up as early as he did and getting to the shack so late had a bigger effect on him than he had thought.

 _Or maybe it’s Bill,_ a small voice in his mind whispered to him mockingly. _Calling you to the mindscape._

He thought about the possibility of Bill meddling with his brain, and shook his head slightly. _Can’t be. I’d feel his presence around…the world would be grey, and he would have revealed himself by now. I’m just tired._

He mumbled a short goodnight to the others, relieved when Mabel told him that she’d be there in a few minutes to talk to him. He gave her a nod in acknowledgement and retreated into the house.

“Hey Dipper,” Stanley greeted, coming over to the lanky teen and giving him a hug. “It’s great to see you again.”

“I saw you yesterday,” he chuckled, hugging his grandfather back. “But it’s good to see you too. The drive wore me out, so I’m gonna go to bed early. Where’s Grunkle Stan?”

“Working downstairs,” Stanley replied right away. “He said that you’re welcome to join him if you’re feeling up to it.”

“I’ll skip for now,” he murmured, heading up the stairs. “Tell him I said hi. And goodnight.”

He headed up the stairs, suddenly grateful for the relief that sleep would bring. It had been a long day, and it would allow him to recharge and get a handle on the fact that he wasn’t leaving the Shack at the summer.

Boxes were scattered all over his and Mabel’s shared room, and the Attic Stuff Golf course was still set up. He grabbed his nightshirt from inside his bag and tugged it on, then stripped out of his jeans and flopped down onto his bed. He was _so tired_ and sleep sounded like an equivalent to heaven at this point.

 _Stay awake,_ he reminded himself, sitting up and wrapping a dark, thin blue blanket around himself. Mabel might have been cool with a lot, but he was positive that she was still squeamish about him sleeping in his underwear. _Just for another minute._

Mabel didn’t disappoint and it wasn’t a few seconds more before he heard her light footsteps coming down the hall.

“I’m here Bro Bro,” she called, knocking on the door. “So you had better be decent!”

“It’s safe to enter,” he called back wearily. She did so tentatively, and he was relieved that she was being so attentive about his state of sleepiness.

“What did you want to tell me earlier?” she prompted gently, sitting across from him on her own bed. “About Will?”

He rubbed at his eyes again, sleep still threatening to take over. “He’s weird,” he murmured, laying back. “I think it’s Bill.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Mabel replied uneasily after a moment. “Dipper, he can’t be Bill. That isosceles monster is trapped here, so there’s no way that he could have gotten to Piedmont.”

“He could have possessed someone,” he ground out, closing his eyes lightly. “Maybe possessed bodies are his way out.”

“There’s that possibility,” his twin mused thoughtfully, and he was reminded once more of how sweet she was, that she listened to him without judging. “But I found the error in that one too Dip-Dip – he’s staying and working here. Stanley has a Cipher-radar practically built into his brain, and he’d know for sure if it was him.”

“I know,” he groused sleepily. “His name…too much of a fucking coincidence Mabel….Will? _Bill._ And have you seen that guy’s clothes? Black and gold. The only thing missing is the top hat.”

“And the cane,” she reminded him gently. "You can’t forget that dumb gold cane of his.”

“I don’t like him,” he finally admitted. “He…” Dipper sighed as he realized that even though Mabel knew about his…conflict, he didn’t want her quite knowing how badly William affected him.

“Today’s been rough,” he muttered after a long pause of silence. “And dad-” his voice cracked slightly on the word, and _god,_ how he hated it – “didn’t help at all.”

“I’m sorry,” Mabel’s voice was suddenly too quiet and he knew that she was on the verge of tears. “I should have been there.”

“He didn’t want you there,” he hissed out. She inhaled sharply, and he immediately felt guilty for upsetting her.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly, sitting up. “That was-”

A second passed and then she was sitting on his lap, hugging him tightly and crying. “You’re right,” she sobbed, nails digging into his back slightly. “Dipper, he shouldn’t have… _attacked_ you like that, all alone. A-and saying that it was wrong for you to be gay…”

It was the second time the subject had ever been brought up between them and for her to mention it so openly…it was bad. He closed his eyes and finally allowed himself to cry too, because his father’s words had done this to them.

It seemed like several minutes before either of them calmed down enough to speak again, but even then, they didn’t. Dipper shifted under his sister’s weight because it was slightly uncomfortable, and finally he just gave up and laid back, taking her with him.

“I’m so sorry Mabes,” he whispered softly into her hair, stroking it gently. “I didn’t want this to break you…”

“I didn’t want it to break you either though,” she breathed back, shifting and rolling off of him. “Sorry,” she apologized, her face turning pink in embarrassment. “That was kinda awkward.”

He chuckled quietly, because of _course_ she would be the one to break the gloomy mood with a statement like that. “It’s fine,” he replied hoarsely. “The comfort was kind of nice…we haven’t done something like that since we were kids.”

“Dipper…” she hesitated for a moment before continuing. “…What are you going to do? About dad and everything? Grunkle and Grandpa are okay with your…preferences and they accept it, but what about everything else?”

“I need to talk to them about that actually,” he admitted. “I…I told dad that I’m not going to college. I think I want to stay here, Mabel.”

“I’m not stopping you,” she voiced softly, though he knew it also served as a reprimand. “But be _careful_ Dipper. I know what this town does to you…the mystery consumes you every summer and it feels like you’re slipping. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t. Promise.” He held out his pinky, and she linked her own with his. “I’ll be more careful. Besides – I have all the time in the world to work on the mysteries of this town. Stanley said a few weeks ago that if I can dedicate myself and work out the few kinks here and there, he’ll even let me professionally publish the journals.”

“Dipper, that’s great!” his twin whispered, a spark of enthusiasm finally lighting in her eyes again. “It’ll show mom and dad that you were telling the truth the whole time!”

“Or they’ll think I’m crazier,” he sighed. “But I’m invested in this at all costs, for better or worse. Grunkle Stan said that in about a year, he and Stanley might go into retirement and let me have the shack permanently. Maybe with the publication of the journals, I can take people on real mystery tours!”

“No camera crews,” Mabel asserted fiercely, an odd determination in her eyes. “And I want you to ask every creature’s permission before including them in.”

“You’ve never been so caring about them before,” he remarked, slightly startled.

“They might be hidden for a reason Dip-Dip,” she replied. “I don’t want them to feel like they’re some sort of zoo creatures…I want them to feel right at home. It means no golf cart either!”

He laughed lightly. “You know, if fashion doesn’t work out for you, I think I’d like you to be my co-manager.”

“Not gonna happen,” she teased, sitting up and stretching. “We need new beds Dippingsauce, this is getting way too uncomfortable!”

“Next week,” he muttered. “Once our final paychecks get deposited into our bank accounts. Then….then we can drive out to Portland and get the biggest, comfiest beds you can possibly come up with.”

“On second thought, that might not be a good idea,” she mused. “You might be promoted in a year, and this room is too tiny for bigger beds. Maybe just some better mattresses that don’t feel like pins and needles.”

“That’s an even better idea,” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

There was a light pressure as Mabel kissed his forehead gently, and another as she scrambled off the bed in a less-than-graceful fashion. “Good night Bro Bro,” she whispered as she exited.

* * *

 Dipper awoke with a startled gasp to the sound of a crash and automatically noticed that the world around him was in varying shades of black and white. He was in the Mindscape. 

“Bill!” he called out, scrambling to his feet. He took another look around and noticed that he was outside of the Mystery Shack. “Where the fuck are you?!”

“My, such harsh words Pine Tree! And to think, I made sure to be the first one to give you a proper homecoming!” Dipper looked around frantically, unable to find the source of the voice. All of a sudden he felt a pressure and was forcefully pushed back, landing with a small grunt of pain.

Not a millisecond passed before Bill Cipher was hovering above him with a look that was a mix between his usual amusement and an anger that Dipper could feel in every bone. The demon pressed his cane harder into his chest, and he was pretty sure that a rib had just cracked from the pressure.

“You should apologize for such rude behavior!” Bill was the slightest shade of pink, a warning of what was to come if he didn’t hurry and comply.

“Sorry,” Dipper spat out, not meaning it in the slightest. “Now tell me, what the hell do you want?”

“Tsk tsk Piney!” The cane dug deeper into his skin and he gasped from the pain it caused. “You just never learn!”

“Please!” he rasped, tears rolling down his cheeks. “S-stop!”

“That’s more like it,” Cipher purred, bringing a foot down to rest heavily on his throat, cutting off most of his air supply. The pressure of the cane eased up slightly, but the demon’s foot more than made up for the loss. “Now, be a good Pine Tree and beg for mercy.”

He twisted his face into a snarl and was ready to make a snappy retort when his body suddenly spasmed and he coughed up blood, peppering the grey ground with bright flecks of scarlet.

“Time’s running out,” Bill snarked triumphantly, his eye becoming a clock. “Unless you want to die in the next couple of minutes, I suggest you get started.”

“P-please-” he whimpered softly, the corners of his vision turning white. “R-release me.”

“Not good enough,” Cipher taunted and he would have screamed in frustration if he were able.

“W-what more do you want from me?” he cried out, knowing fully that the question was loaded.

If the floating triangle above him had a mouth, Dipper swore up and down that he would’ve grinned if he could. Bill reached out a flaming blue hand toward him. “You really want to make a deal? I’m flattered, I really am – after all, it’s our first day reunited and you already want to sell me your soul!”

“Piss off,” Dipper ground out, more flecks of scarlet peppering onto the ground.

“Your situation’s not looking too good. Tick tock, tick tock.”

“I’m not giving you my soul!”

“How about this then,” Bill’s foot lifted from his throat and he gratefully inhaled, then immediately coughed out more blood. “You see Pine Tree, my lovely little cane here actually _did_ crack one of your precious little ribs, and it punctured your lung. So here - I’ll fix up your nice little internal bleeding thing we got going here and take my cane off of your chest out of the goodness of my little heart.” Dipper made a small noise of disbelief over that, but the demon ignored it and pressed on. “I’ll even toss in a wonderful little answer to any question you ask for free!”

“W-what do you get out of this?” he whispered, his voice growing weaker. He coughed again.

“In return-” Bill paused for a moment for dramatic effect. “I get to mark any part of your body that I want.”

“Why?” The question slipped out before he had a chance to think straight and the dream demon cackled and forcefully grabbed his hand. Blue fire wrapped around his wrist and shot up his arm, and an unearthly shriek ripped from his throat.

It was a solid minute or two before the burning sensation and the blue flames faded. Bill did as he promised and removed the cane from his chest. With a snap of his fingers, Dipper could breathe normally again.

“I’ll take that as your question,” Bill chirped cheerfully, twirling his cane around while Dipper rubbed at his throat and breathed deeply. “You see Piney, I’m not the only creature here in Gravity Falls that’s taken an interest in you – no more questions!” he snapped as Dipper opened his mouth curiously.

Dipper nodded meekly, and Bill continued. “I might be an omnipotent being with eternal energy and no weaknesses, but it’s a tough business that I run around here, and the competition is fierce because we’re all limited to this town. Therefore, I feel the need to mark you as my property before any of the others get the chance to.”

“W-where are you going to mark me?”

The question prompted another cackle from the demon. “It’s hilarious how stupid you are! The mark’s already there – check your neck when you wake up!” Bill blinked his eye slowly at him, and he knew that it was a wink. “A fun fact about your mark – I can use it to communicate with you wherever you are, whenever I want to! In a way, it binds our minds!”

“Wait!” Naturally, he panicked. “Y-you’re not going to possess me or anything, right?!”

Bill scoffed, “so stupid. I said I would communicate with you, not take over!”

“Bind our minds,” Dipper corrected angrily. “That sounds like possession to me!”

“It’s not, so calm down.” Bill’s eye narrowed, the pink returning. “I believe that I’ve allotted you way more questions than we agreed to, Pine Tree.”

A moment passed in silence, then he was back to normal. “Either way,” the demon stressed, forcing the happiness back into his voice. “Welcome to the rest of your life Piney!” 

“You’re an ass,” he growled. “And I hate you.”

Bill sighed dramatically, “I really didn’t want to do this to you on your first night back Pine Tree, but you asked for it.”

And suddenly, he was falling into an endless black void, where desperate shrieks of his name echoed all around him. A flash, and he could see animal heads mounted onto a wall, chanting what sounded like a curse in an ancient language, blood flowing from their mouths.

It was dark again, and then another flash. Mabel’s body, horrendously mutilated beyond repair. A sickening crunch, and her head lifted to face him. She stared at him with bloody sockets where her eyes used to be, then she spoke. “You’re a hopeless cause,” she hissed, blood pouring from her mouth. “A freak! Look at you, attracted to _men_ of all things. You make me sick.”

Darkness again, and he was alone. Finally, he landed in some sort of body of liquid that was too thick to be water. A flash, illuminating the sea of blood around him, islands of the bodies of faces he knew and loved floating around. He screamed shrilly, and didn’t stop until his body grew weak and he went under.

“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice screamed, intermingling with his own. His eyes shot open and he flailed in the dark in an attempt to escape the blankets that were ensnaring him.  His skin _burned_ and his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

He looked up and noticed that it wasn’t just Mabel there, it was Stanley and their Grunkle, and _god, no_. William stood in the doorway with them, looking just as worried as the others.

“Bill,” he stuttered, hyperventilating. “H-he’s back.”

“I sense him near,” Stanley muttered tersely. He knelt down on the floor beside Dipper’s bed, allowing William to take a few steps forward in his place. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“H-he-” Dipper blanched then, and Grunkle Stan grabbed the nearest trash can and held it out to him wordlessly. “He-he _m-marked_ me. M-my neck. It _burns.”_

Stanley took his head gently in his hands and turned it slowly, so as not to freak him out. “Flashlight,” he ordered gruffly. Within a moment, he had one provided by William. The three of them gasped, filling Dipper’s heart with dread. Was it that bad?

 _Certainly not good Piney,_ Bill’s smug voice resounded in his head. _I tried to tell you that I didn’t want to do this the hard way. Maybe next time, you’ll know better._ He blanched again from hearing the voice, and dark red peppered the inside of the trash can.

Mabel gasped. “You’re bleeding!”

“No…” he breathed out, his eyes wide with horror. “N-no! He fi-fixed it! I swear he did!”

_Side effect. Just because your body isn’t bleeding anymore, doesn’t mean there isn’t any residual blood with nowhere to go._

“He?” Grunkle Stan questioned lowly, his tone borderline homicidal.

“B-Bill…” Dipper whispered, almost afraid to voice the demon’s name. “I…was going to die. He forced me to let him mark me, in exchange for being allowed to live.”

“What does it look like?” he finally asked meekly after nobody said anything for a minute. “The mark?”

“Triangle,” Mabel supplied, her voice barely above a murmur from shock. “It looks just like him. It’s in the center of his summoning circle.”

Grunkle Stan looked back at William, his expression unchanging. “Downstairs,” he told the blond shortly. _“Now.”_

William nodded and quickly complied, Grunkle Stan following him. Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could get a word in by a small white pill being shoved into his mouth.

“Swallow,” Stanley commanded, forcing his mouth shut. He obediently did so as best as he could.

“What was that?” he asked the second his grandfather’s hand released.

“Sleeping pill. It’ll keep you from dreaming, and will therefore keep you out of the mindscape.”

“What was that about?” Mabel questioned, gesturing to the doorway that Grunkle Stan and William had disappeared through.

“Cipher is a….topic of interest to William,” Stanley said hesitantly. “He’s studied a lot of runes and stuff and dabbles in the art of magic, so he might be able to tell us something about that tattoo on your neck.”

“Can it be removed?” he asked in small voice, his fingers moving up to lightly trace the skin. A burning sensation filled him, but was quickly replaced with… _pleasure?_ He gasped, quickly putting his hand back down.

“Likely not, if your deal is what caused it,” Stanley replied gravely. “There is another idea though.”

“What is it?” he demanded eagerly, almost getting up to stand.

“You could mark your body up some more and get a tattoo of protection, like what Stanford has. It’ll get you some weird looks from people if you put it in a viewable area, but that might be your kind of thing. Especially if you plan on running this dump eventually – it’ll give the tourists more appeal.”

“No more tattoos,” he said flatly. “I’ll be happy enough to get the one off my neck, thank you very much.”

“It’s something to consider,” Stanley told him gently, laying a hand on his hair and ruffling it.  “Now, go to sleep. You won’t see him anymore.”

He left, and Dipper laid back down, coughing more blood onto his blanket. He rolled over to look at the time and saw that it was nearing two in the morning.

“Are you really okay, Dipper?” Mabel asked, sitting gently on the bed beside him. She glanced back at the door. “Grunkle Stan seemed mad, even when he was looking at William. You could be right.”

“No,” he breathed out shakily. “I was _so_ _wrong,_ Mabel. It’s just a coincidence, it has to be. There’s no possible way in hell that it’s Cipher. William’s too good to be.”

“Okay,” she whispered softly. “Let’s go back to bed Bro Bro.”

He shut his eyes wearily, the sleeping pill beginning to take its effect on him. “Good…night, Mabel.”

* * *

 The sun was shining into his room cheerfully when he awoke next, and it was only too easy to forget about the dream last night and his encounter with Cipher. Mabel was already gone, probably to catch up with Pacifica at the golf course.

Then suddenly his neck burned and he cried out, arching his back in pain. _They kept me from seeing you,_ Bill’s voice echoed angrily in his mind. _Never take that pill again Pine Tree._

“You…can’t stop me.” He ground out, placing his palm flat against the tattoo in an effort to cease the pain. It worsened significantly and a small shriek ripped from his lips as his vision went momentarily dark. More shocking still was the ribbons of pleasure interweaving with the pain, creating a whole new sensation.

“Wh-what did you do to me?” he gasped out, forcing his hand away from his skin. The pleasure disappeared, leaving only the pain to burn against his skin.

 _Be an obedient Pine Tree today,_ Bill threatened lowly. _I will see you tonight, and you will be cordial, or else you’re going to get way worse than a nightmare or burning tattoo._

“Please,” he begged, tears leaking from his eyes. “M-make it stop.”

He sighed in relief as Bill granted his wish, then he flopped back onto his bed and promptly curled himself into a ball, crying silently. How pathetic he was, to cry over something that didn’t exist.

 _But I do, Pine Tree,_ Cipher whispered into his mind. _In both body and spirit. Soon, you’ll give in to me._

“Dipper!” William’s voice called out from right outside the doorway. “I’m coming in here, okay?”

“How convenient for you,” he ground out. “Tonight, I’m going to find out your plan. And there’s nothing-” 

The door opened then and William came in, more underdressed than Dipper had ever seen him be in the daytime. Instead of the usual black slacks and dress shirt, he was wearing a pair of simple black shorts and a yellow tee with a black question mark on it.

“Are you okay? Any more nightmares last night?”

“How’d you-”

“Kid, I know what waking up from a nightmare looks like. You had terror written all over your face. How’s that tattoo of yours feeling?”

“It was burning a minute ago,” Dipper admitted, sitting up. “Cipher can do that at will it seems like, whenever he thinks I deserve punishment.”

“There’s an interesting take on things,” William hummed thoughtfully. “Can I touch it? Do you mind?”

“Yes,” he said immediately, without thinking. “I do mind. C-Cipher does too. He doesn’t like the contact on it.”

William held his hands up defensively. “Okay, okay. Sheesh, you’re a tough crowd kid.”

“Why are you calling me that?” he asked, annoyed. “That sounds like something Cipher would call me.”

“I thought it was cute,” William defended. “Sorry. I won’t do it anymore.”

“There’s nothing cute about being called a kid,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s demeaning and offensive.”

“You’re right,” William soothed. “I’ll just call you Dipper, then. Or would you prefer your real name?”

“Dipper’s fine,” he murmured. “Have you found anything out about the tattoo?”

The blonde shook his head, “nothing that you probably don’t already know, and certainly not any way to remove it. Unless you can make another deal with him, which I don’t advise doing, you’re stuck with him inside of your little noggin until he decides he’s bored with it.”

“….I never told anyone about him being inside my head,” Dipper said quietly, distrust settling over his features. “How did you know about that?”

“I spend all my free time studying him,” William pointed out. “There’s not a whole lot of moves that he would make that I’m not familiar with.”

“I bet you’re _very_ familiar with him,” Dipper muttered, looking down at his feet.

“Dipper, I’m not the enemy here,” William said gently. There was a gentle pressure as he sat down next to him. “You realize that, right?”

Before he could get a word in, the blonde’s fingers lightly traced over the marking on his neck, studying it. Instead of pain like there had been whenever he’d touched it, there was only pleasure with William’s tender caress. It enveloped him in a warmth that he could feel down to his toes and elicited a small noise of content from his throat. 

The blonde chuckled, “does it tickle or something?”

Dipper shook his head quickly, coming to his senses and leaning away from William’s touch. “It just…didn’t burn that time,” he said quickly, blushing. “Maybe Cipher’s resting right now or something.”

“Maybe,” the blonde mused, standing. “Either way, you should really get dressed. Stanford let me have the day off so we could hang out, and I’m not about to spend it cooped up indoors.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! My computer crashed two weeks ago, and I lost the document and all access to a computer to update with. Everything's fixed now, so I should be back on the normal schedule!


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

“What’s your connection to my Grunkle and Stanley anyway?” Dipper asked curiously as he walked downstairs after William.

At the teen’s earlier instruction he had cleaned himself up, taken a quick shower and gotten dressed into some clean clothes that weren’t splattered with the blood he’d coughed out while he slept.

“They helped me out at a bad point in my life,” the blond answered cryptically. “Stanford owed me a favor anyway, so I cashed in on it and decided to work here. In return for me working, I stay for free.”

“Stanley showed you the journals,” he blurted out. “He doesn’t trust anyone with those besides Grunkle Stan and Mabel and I. So why you?”

“I have an aptitude for magic,” William responded in an almost bored tone as he made his way into the kitchen. “And we seek a common end goal. I can’t say that we’re friends, because that would be a lie. Call it a reluctant alliance, if you will.”

“What’s the goal?” he questioned curiously.

“That’s confidential Dip-Dip,” William answered easily as he pushed a bowl of stir-fry into the microwave. “As in, not allowed to say anything. Sorry, but it’s for your own good.”

“I fail to see how,” he muttered, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“I promise, you’ll understand eventually,” William murmured. For a moment, he thought he could detect traces of sympathy in the blonde’s voice. “But that time is not now. Or any time within the next several months.”

He pushed the now hot plate of stir fry in front of Dipper. “Eat. Please. It’ll help you regain your strength.”

Dipper hesitantly took a bite and made a small face. “It’s too spicy.”

“Bastard. I’m the one that made it.”

“Give me some coffee,” he muttered, waving his hand contemptuously.

“Nope!” William exclaimed, placing a glass of purple liquid with sparkles floating around in it in front of him. “It doesn’t do to have you so grumpy in the morning. From now on, you’re going to drink happy things!”

“No. Go to hell. I refuse to drink that stuff.”

“Please!” William whined. “It’s really not as bad as it looks Dipper, I promise!”

“The last time I tried that stuff, I was throwing up glitter for a week!”

“Because you’re not used to it! Once you are, the glitter puke will stop!”

“Or my intestines will shrivel up and I’ll die,” he argued, stabbing at the stir fry, deciding that it was way better than the idea of drinking the Mabel Juice.

“Your sister hasn’t yet,” William pointed out. “Now hurry up – I wanna go outside!”

He rolled his eyes and scarfed down his food, then crossed the room to the sink and rinsed his dishes off. Absentmindedly, he wondered if Bill was still sticking around in his mind, or if the show that morning had been just that – a show.

_I’m still here Piney,_ the demon’s quiet voice was enough to make him jump, and William snickered from behind him. Dipper swiveled around to face him and glared.

“Sorry, sorry!” the blond cackled, waving his hands in front of him in some twisted sort of apology. “It’s just – it’s so hilarious to see you startled!”

“It’s not funny,” he quietly deadpanned, brushing past the teen and heading back up to his room. As much as the woods appealed to him, it wouldn’t be worth it to be stuck with that asshole all day.

“Wait up,” William called, a small hint of desperation in his voice.

Dipper whipped around, coming face to face with the blond. “No, _you_ wait,” he hissed. “In the past day I’ve been shunned by my parents, marked by an annoying dream demon that’s decided to live in my head and torture me whenever he feels like it. I have tried to keep a positive attitude about this all, but your flippant little comments left and right aren’t helping any.” William’s face was apologetic, and it was almost enough to make him feel bad. Almost.

“I _do_ understand,” he responded softly. “Dipper, I’m sor-.”

“You don’t even care about this _brand_ on my neck, do you?” the brunette interrupted angrily. “You probably think is funny or something! Pain is hilarious, right?!”

Any trace of happiness that the blond might have had left shattered at Dipper’s words. “Y-you really think that about me?” he choked out dejectedly. “That I think this is all some joke? That it’s _funny?_ I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night because I was too busy trying to figure out the answers to _your_ problems!”

Now Dipper looked away, ashamed of his harsh words and assumptions. “That would explain the Mabel Juice,” he mumbled weakly. “You…you didn’t have to do all that for me Will.”

“Just leave me alone,” the teen spat out, turning on his heel and stalking back downstairs. The unforgiving slam of a door let Dipper know that he had stormed completely out of the shack and probably wasn’t going to return for the rest of the day.

Dipper walked back to his room and slammed the door shut angrily. “Fuck him,” he muttered, going over to his bed and laying down.

_If you really want to, that can be arranged,_ Bill’s snide voice sounded in his mind.

“You can fuck off too,” Dipper ground out. “I really fucking hate you.”

_That’s where you’re wrong, Pine Tree. You want to, but deep down you know that I’m a part of the reason that you’re so drawn to this condemned little town. Really, it’s impossible to hate me. Do so if you wish though Piney...eventually, you’ll learn._

Dipper uttered a small shriek as his neck caught fire, burning harshly against his already-heated skin. Oxygen suddenly seemed to become harder to find, his shrieks growing in sound as the seconds passed. His chest heaved in the effort to retain any air that he could get.

“S-stop!” Dipper gasped, writhing in agony. “P-please, Cipher!”

_You’ll have to do better than that, my little Pine Tree,_ Bill whispered cruelly. _Maybe you’re interested in selling me your soul after all?_

“Never,” he whispered defiantly through the pain. “I will never submit to you Cipher, and you will never have my soul.”

There was a quick rap on the door, followed by a much louder and insistent knock. “Dipper?” Mabel called anxiously. “Are you okay?” Without waiting for any form of response – not like he was really capable of giving it anyway – the door slammed open and his twin ran into the room, Stanley behind her.

“Dipper!” she cried the second she saw his twisted form, running to his side and laying her hands down on his arm in an attempt to make him stop moving.

“Be careful Mabel,” Stanley cautioned, slowly walking up behind her and laying a hand on her shoulder. Dipper looked at them both through glazed eyes, his vision unfocused.

“Leave-” He choked out, the pain seemingly beginning to subside. Or was it numbing him completely? “B-Bill…” Fear briefly crossed over his sister’s expression at the mention of the dream demon, and he flinched in guilt.

His body seized and he suddenly wasn’t in control of himself anymore. “You might want to let go of me Shooting Star!” Bipper hissed, sitting up and raising a flaming hand toward her face. “Or else I might have to force you!”

She let go and backed away, terrified. Dipper tried to regain control of his body, but it was to no avail. _You said no possessions!_ He screamed mentally at Cipher.

“Sorry kid, but they can’t interfere with this!” Bipper snarled, pressing the flaming hand against the tattoo of the triangle. The demon possessing him laughed madly through his mouth as Dipper cried in agony, trapped in his own mind and unable to beg for relief.

"What do you want with my brother?" Mabel questioned, taking a small step toward him.

"That's really none of your business, Star," Bipper answered in a mockingly sweet tone. "Though, I promise you'll find out eventually."

"Let him go!" She demanded, anger flaring in her eyes. "Now."

“Not so fast!” Bipper grinned maniacally, holding out the still flaming hand toward her. “First, we’ve gotta make a deal! I’ll quit making his pretty little mark hurt if he agrees to be obedient, and you two have to promise that you won’t meddle in our affairs anymore.”

“Get out of my grandson’s body,” Stanley finally muttered quietly, stepping forward and laying a surprisingly gentle hand on Bipper’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this to get what you want Cipher.”

Bipper stepped out of Stanley’s grasp, his face twisting into a sneer. “Don’t try to play sympathetic with me old man,” he hissed. “You tried to keep me from my Pine Tree, and I’m going to make sure that never happens again. You make the deal, or I’ll tell the twins what’s _really_ going on.”

“Stanley?” Mabel piped up quietly, uncertainty drawn across her features. “W-what’s he talking about?”

_What secret is he hiding now?_ Dipper asked himself in exasperation,thankful that the pain from the mark was going away. _And why is Stanley acting so different around Bill?_

“Tick tock,” Bipper taunted, grinning widely. “I’d choose if I were you, Six Fingers – lest everything that you’ve tried to hide from Dipper come spilling out. We’re linked together, so it’d only be too easy to stop time and show him everything.” He held a flaming hand out to their grandfather, seeming to relish in the anguish written on his expression.

“You win, Cipher,” Stanley finally muttered, a cold and unforgiving look in his eyes as he grasped Bipper’s hand with his own. “It’s a deal.” The demon cackled, focusing his attention on Mabel.

“Y-you can’t hurt him-” she said immediately, shooting an unsure look toward their grandfather. “N-not again. Ever.”

Bipper rolled his eyes. “I’ll do my best Shooting Star,” he replied in a sarcastic tone, giving the flaming hand a small wave of impatience. “Now hurry up, before I change my mind.”

Mabel shot an unsure glance at Stanley, then took Bipper’s hand upon a small nod. “Deal.” She spoke softly, her voice trembling with the syllable that sealed Dipper’s fate.

_Now let me go,_ Dipper thought angrily to the demon. _They made the deal, it’s over Cipher._

“They made the deal Pine Tree,” Bipper hissed, digging a set of Dipper’s nails into his arms – Dipper supposed that it was to do as much damage as he could before exiting his body. “It’s your turn now. Do we have a deal or not?” The demon raked the nails up Dipper’s arm, tearing the skin and leaving trails of blood behind.

_Yes,_ he finally answered quietly, and was tossed back in control of his own body.

“Dipper!” Mabel exclaimed worriedly as he lurched and stumbled on his feet. She caught him before he could fall and gently eased him back onto his bed as his vision faded completely.

* * *

“-and I swear that if you pull another fucking string like that, I’m going to kill you!”

Dipper opened his eyes slowly, then quickly forced them mostly shut when he caught wind of what was going on. Grunkle Stan had William pinned against the wall by the throat, holding a knife against his jugular.

“You said to make it convincing,” William hissed back. “We had a deal Stanford, and Piney here was getting too close to figuring it out!”

“You weren’t supposed to go about it this way!” his great uncle shouted, throwing him to the ground. The teen immediately scrambled to his feet, shooting a glare at the old man.

“He finds out on my terms!” William snapped. “Or are you forgetting that?”

“You hurt him one more time-”

“It won’t be as bad,” the blonde interrupted. “But I can’t keep a damn bubble around him at all times; he’d find out.”

“You’re lucky to be alive,” Grunkle Stan muttered, straightening his tie. “I should kill you.”

“You can’t kill an immortal being,” William whispered, walking closer to Dipper. He slowly fluttered his eyes closed, praying that he wouldn’t be found out. “And if you break your end, I break mine. It only takes a few seconds for the apocalypse to strike and them to die, old man. I’m _sure_ you don’t want that.”

A delicate hand reached out to caress his cheek and his heart beat quicker in his chest. “So fragile, humans are,” a murmur sounded close to his ear, then something soft brushed against the skin of his neck. “But _you’re_ not, Pine Tree. You’re special, special enough for me to want to keep you. As a treat, I’ll even let you keep Shooting Star and the blondie that she’s so fond of.”

“You disgust me,” his great uncle rasped, his voice echoing around the room.

A quiet cackle filled his ears. “But of course. You might want to quiet down Stanford, your little tree can hear you.”

“He’s awake?”

“He’s heard every word of this.” There was another soft cackle and skin – it felt like lips – brushed over the constellation birthmark on his forehead. “And yet, when he wakes up…he won’t know any of this.” There was a sudden breeze of cool air against his face and he found himself slipping away again. “This will all just have been a dream.”

* * *

“Dipper…” A small voice echoed in his ears. “Wake up. Please. Let me know he didn’t off you completely.” It had to have been Mabel, because only she would fret over him like that.

A small groan slipped out of his mouth, and he blinked open his eyes wearily to see his sister leaning over him, apprehension clear in her expression.

“Mabel,” he whispered, his vision focusing and unfocusing again as he regained a sense of who he was. His head hurt and he felt like there was something that he was supposed to remember….but what was it? “What happened?”

“Bipper happened,” she mumbled quietly, sitting down on the edge of his bed, toying with the ends of her sweater nervously. “Bill took control of your mind and snapped.”

“I remember.” He wearily lifted the arm that bore the scratch marks, not even surprised to find them already scarred over, long and a pale shade of pink. “I was trapped in my mind the entire time. I had to watch as he threatened to burn you…as he manipulated you the way he did.”

“He was threatening to kill you Dipper,” Mabel whispered, frowning. For once, her expression was hard to read - her attempt at staying strong. “I know that he didn’t say anything about it, but I could see it in his eyes. If we didn’t listen….there was no telling what he would have done to you.”

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that,” he apologized.

“Don’t be!” Mabel snapped, losing her composure. “None of this is your fault, Dipper. You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, that demon should be the one apologizing to _you_.”

“We both know he’s not going to do that,” Dipper pointed out.

“He should, damn him.”

“Cipher’s a fucked up piece of work,” he told her quietly. “He has some sort of goal that he’s trying to achieve, and I’m going to find out what it is and stop him.”

_You think it’s that simple, Pine Tree?_ For once it was easy to ignore the voice of Bill Cipher in his mind. Dipper did so with a surprising effortlessness, and continued.

“But not now. I have the rest of my life to put an end to this. I’m going to make up for last night now. Call Pacifica, we’re going out tonight.”

“What about William?” Mabel asked in a small voice. “I know you have your suspicions about him-”

“That’s another deal,” he cut in, sitting up. After a moment, he stood on shaky legs praying that the ground wouldn’t suddenly rise up to collide with his face again. “You go arrange everything with Paz, and I’ll go talk to Will. I…said some things earlier, and I feel like I need to apologize for it.”

Mabel’s eyes lit up with hope. “You’re serious this time? Like, really serious? You’ll give him a second chance?”

“He’s been nothing but nice and helpful to me since I met him,” Dipper admitted, once again ashamed of his earlier words. “He more than deserves an apology from me.”

With that, he slowly walked out of the room and made his way downstairs, vaguely wondering if he’d find William in the shack. He highly doubted it, from the way the teen had stormed out earlier. Which left one option….he would have to go to the small kinda-home-ish place that William had told him about. He walked outside and to the building at the edge of the woods, hesitating before knocking.

“Enter,” a weary voice that he knew had to be William’s called out from inside just after his knuckles had left the wood.

He did so slowly, and was surprised at what he saw. The walls of the shack were painted a dark color, close to black and it was accompanied by a grey carpet. A door was opened on the left side of the room he was standing in, revealing a small, pristine white bathroom. Overall, it was bigger than he thought.

William was laying down on what looked like a king sized bed that was properly outfitted with a black blanket that had golden swirls intricately painting a pattern across it.

“Hey,” he started quietly, shuffling his feet nervously.

“You came here for a purpose,” the blond stated insipidly, not moving his eye from the ceiling above him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “For being so rude to you and everything. You didn’t deserve it.”

William sat up and stared at him, then shrugged and motioned for him to sit on a large cream colored chaise lounge that was tactically placed on the wall opposite where he was standing, facing the bed.

“You can continue,” he murmured as soon as Dipper was seated.

“Right,” he started, pausing for a moment. “Anyway, it’s been a rough first day back at Gravity Falls, and I wanted to invite you out with Mabel and Pacifica and I tonight.”

“That’s an interesting proposition,” William murmured, laying back down. “What did you have in mind?”

“That, I wasn’t so sure about,” he admitted with a light blush. “You live here in Gravity Falls, so I was thinking that maybe you knew where the best spots are to hang out.”

The blond stretched and yawned, “there’s a club that Paz and I occasionally go to that should do the trick.”

“B-but,” he stuttered, his face going red. “P-Paz and Mabel and I are underage.”

He snorted contemptuously. “You think that’s stopped us before? Trust me Dip-Dip, a little charm and flattery can get you everywhere.”

“I’ll…go tell Mabel then,” he finally murmured, getting up.

“Hey.” William’s voice was quiet and it held a certain note in it that made him listen, want to stay. “Thank you, Dipper. Nobody’s ever really gone out of their way so much to apologize to me before.”

He nodded and left so Will could dress in peace, thinking deeply. Did he even _have_ any clothes suitable enough to go clubbing? It was a given for Pacifica since she seemed to frequent the place, and Mabel was her best friend.

“They’ll figure something out,” he muttered as he walked into the shack.

“Hey Dipper,” Pacifica greeted the second he walked into the living room. “Will texted and told me that we’re going to a club tonight. I picked something up along the way for you because I figured that you wouldn’t have anything to wear.”

“I-” he was cut off by the blonde tossing a garment bag at him, and groaned when he saw what it was.

“You like?” she asked cockily, a hand on her hip. “Looks just like the one you wore for that dumb puppet play that Mabel did when you guys were twelve. Except, you know, I modified the jacket a little bit so it’s not as reverend like. Fancier and…more attractive.”

“I do _not_ need memories of that right now,” he muttered, folding the garment bag over an arm delicately. “Speaking of, Will and I only just decided what we were going to do tonight. How’d you get here so quickly?”

She rolled her eyes, “honestly Dipper, you’re so predictable. He knew you’d feel bad about being such an asshat toward him and when you got possessed by that Cipher creep, he figured that you’d need a pick-me-up. I was just waiting for Mabel to call.”

“Right…” he muttered slowly, still not figuring out how it all added up. He was predictable? Or did the triangle in his mind _make_ him predictable?

_You’ve got a sharp mind, Pine Tree,_ Cipher mused, and he could almost _feel_ the demon shuffling around in his head. _But I’m afraid that’s not the case. Your precious Will is just that good._

“Either way, Mabel’s upstairs, right? You kind of put a downer on everything last night, so we didn’t really get to hang out for that long.”

He sighed, starting toward the stairs. “Yeah, she is.”

“So what was possession like?” Pacifica asked as she trailed up the stairs after him. “I mean, while you were still inside your own body?”

“I hated it,” he answered shortly. “Mabel almost got hurt, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

There was a stretch of silence before she finally responded again. “God, he was right. You really _do_ need this.”

He rolled his eyes and branched away from her as she went into their bedroom, opting to get changed into the suit instead. He locked the bathroom door securely behind him and turned to strip, then paused when he saw his reflection in the mirror.

His hair was unkempt from him being in bed all day, and there was stubble starting to grow on his face that he hadn’t bothered with that morning because the original plan was to go into the woods and search for answers. Now though….

He shook the thought away and tilted his head to the left so that Cipher’s mark was fully exposed in the light. Even though it symbolized everything that he didn’t want to be…he had to admit, it was kind of cool. If he ever got a tattoo, though it wouldn’t have been his original first choice, he might have eventually gotten something akin to it to represent all that the demon had put him through.

_I’m glad you’re starting to warm up to it,_ Cipher purred into his mind. _Now here, if you let me possess you for just a minute, I can make you look snappy in seconds!_

“Hell to the no,” he muttered darkly, stripping out of his clothing. He tugged on the slacks, then realized that if he was going to shave, it might be a better option to forego the shirt for the time being. Mabel would take a while to get ready too, right?

He hummed a small tune as he applied the shaving cream to his face and began pulling the razor over his skin with a delicacy that one would use when handling a newly born baby.

_You know,_ Cipher tried, _it would be too easy for me to take control of that pretty little hand of yours and slit your face open. From what I’ve seen in your memories, that kind of pain isn’t a pleasant kind._

“You’d like it,” he muttered sourly as he finished and washed the rest of his face off. “Why are you asking permission anyway? I figured you’d just do whatever you wanted since you seem to anyway.”

_I had to….modify our little deal. Instead of just hopping into your shoes whenever I want, I figured that you would appreciate me taking an extra step for your obedience. Therefore, I have to be given consent before I can possess you._

“You said no possessions in the first place,” he ground out, rubbing his face dry with a towel. “You fucking lied to me, Cipher.”

_I said I would communicate with you, and that binding our minds wasn’t possession. That wasn’t a lie, Pine Tree. I never said that I couldn’t or wouldn’t take control._

“You’re not ever going to have it again,” he muttered as he pulled the dress shirt on and buttoned it up, then tossed the coat on over it.

“Pacifica was right,” he mused as he looked over his shoulder at the dress coat. “This does look better. I don’t see why normal clothes couldn’t have worked though.”

_Trust me Piney, you look better in what you’re wearing. You’re forgetting the tie around your neck though._

“Right,” he mumbled, beginning to toy with it. “Can’t forget about that.”

Neither of them said anything for several minutes as he fumbled with the tie helplessly, until Bill finally cut in with his sickly sweet, snide voice.

_I can help you with that, if you’d like._

“Fuck that!” he snarled, his hands moving more frantically in an attempt to prove the demon wrong. “You’re not taking control of my body again!”

_So you’d rather ask your sister or_ blondie _for help? Or go out there, and it’s done completely wrong? You’re setting yourself up to look like a fool._

He hesitated, knowing that Cipher had a point. Before he could ask the question that was rising to his lips, the demon was already answering.

_I give you my word, Pine Tree. It’ll be just for a minute. Besides, I’ve done that tie before with your hands, I can do it again with no problem!_

“Okay,” he finally whispered in defeat after a few minutes of silence.

Instead of being pushed back into the far crevices of his mind like the last time, it was like he could _feel_ the demon pushing against him, coming up beside him to co-inhabit instead of dominate. He stared with awe at the mirror as he watched _one_ of his eyes turn a yellowish color, the pupil turning into a small cat-like one.

“There,” Bill murmured with his mouth as he raised his hands to quickly make the knot that he hadn’t been able to figure out earlier. When he was done, he struck a cocky pose and grinned. “See, Pine Tree? With me by your side, nothing can go wrong!”

It took a second, but he was able to easily regain control of his own mouth. “Time to go back now,” he hissed lowly so the girls wouldn’t hear. “Give me my body back.”

_Easily done._ Dipper watched with a growing fascination as his eye slowly changed back to normal and became his own again.

“That was so weird,” he whispered, running his hands over his face to ensure that he really was himself. “Yet so undeniably cool at the same time.”

There was a loud knock on the door then. “Dipper,” his sister called. “Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a long time and we heard you talking to yourself. Or….were you talking to Bill?”

“I’m great,” he said honestly, opening the door and stepping out. Mabel was leaning against the wall next to the door, uncertainty in her expression. “Bill was just helping me work out an issue real quick. Are we just about ready to go?”

“We’re waiting on William,” she replied easily.

In the time that he’d spent in the bathroom, she’d changed into a strapless beige colored dress that went down to her knees and featured a sheer overlayer that created small golden, sparkling patterns over the dress. Pacifica had curled her hair, and the shoes that she wore matched the dress by both color and sparkle.

“And I’m here!” the blond announced, striking a pose at the top of the steps that made Dipper’s heart do a little flip when he looked over. William wore almost exactly what he had the night before, except this time the jacket was different and he wore a medium length top hat.

Actually, now that he thought about it…

_Your jacket is the same cut,_ Bill supplied helpfully. _Except it has a slit going up a little from the center in the back, to split it apart slightly. By human standards, it looks fairly attractive on you._

He blushed, both at his own thoughts about William, and at the demon’s compliment. _Uhh…thanks?_

_You’re welcome._

“Let’s go then,” Pacifica remarked as she walked out of the bedroom. “There’s only so long that we can wait before we lose our VIP spot and have to wait in line like everyone else.”


	5. Chapter 5

Loud music hummed in Dipper’s ears and the bass beat loudly around him in a way that he could feel it like his own pulse. He leaned against one wall of the club, watching the people dance in the center of the room with an expression of disinterest. Every once in a while, his eyes would flicker over to the bar, where William was sweet talking a female bartender. Mabel and Pacifica had long since gone to the center of the room to dance and if they weren’t there anymore….quite frankly, he didn’t want to know.

He grit his teeth as William leaned closer to the bartender and moved his lips slowly in a seductive way that made him see red. “Right,” he muttered angrily, about ready to march over to him and give him a piece of his mind. “Let’s go to a club Dipper, it’ll be fun!” He snorted, “he probably just said that so he could flirt with her.”

_Quiet, Pine Tree. You’re stupider than you look._

“Do you not see him?” he hissed quietly, so the people around him wouldn’t hear.

_I can see him alright, but I’m half blinded by your blatant anger and envy. If it gets to you so badly, why don’t you do something about it?_

“I thought you wanted me to act rationally,” he muttered. “Do less things like that.”

_I do, but it was enough of a distraction. Your pretty boy is headed over now, and he’s going to expect a thank you for all of his hard work._

Sure enough, William was walking over towards him with a wide smile, carrying two drinks. One was a margarita – Will’s, he assumed- and the other was unidentifiable. Most likely, that was the drink intended for him.

“Look what I scored,” William sang quietly. “Told you that flattery would get you everywhere!”

“Thanks,” Dipper muttered begrudgingly as he took the tall glass and sipped once. “You seemed pretty close to that girl up there.”

“Her perfume was too strong for my taste,” the blond countered drily. “I don’t really have a thing for females that have way too big of boobs and then try to push them towards me as if it’s actually appealing.” He downed half his glass in one swig, catching Dipper’s eye with a wicked grin. “You know, if I didn’t know any better…I’d think you were jealous.”

“Are not,” he muttered acidulously, taking a large gulp of his drink and savoring the feel of the burning it caused as he swallowed.

_See Piney? Some pain is good!_ Bill interjected cheerfully.

_Go to hell,_ he thought back, taking another large sip.

“You wanna go someplace to talk?” William suggested, downing the rest of his drink. “Now that you’ve got some liquid courage in you? It might do you some good…”

“Sure,” he found himself agreeing as he followed the blonde’s example and finished what was in his glass.

William smirked and took his hand as the aftereffects started hitting him, causing him to almost stumble and his vision to blur. Suddenly, it was like he was separate from his mind. The music became so much clearer and every nerve inside of him was suddenly hypersensitive, the heat from the dancing crowd hitting him like a ton of bricks. He could feel his heartbeat thrumming through him with every step he took, could hear it in his ears.

The blond led him up to the second floor of the club, then higher until they were outside standing on top of the roof, and higher still.

He looked down, dumbfounded to see the top of the roof at least five feet under them by the time William stopped. “We’re….”

“Levitating,” William replied close to his ear. “There are some perks to being experienced with magic, Dipper. Now, look ahead of you and relax. Sit down.” He did, and was surprised that the air had become a sort of ledge, solid under his weight.

William sat down next to him, his feet dangling over the ‘ledge’ somehow. “Now you can talk,” he said quietly. “Say anything you want. There are no other ears here besides mine, no eyes to judge.”

“Today’s been shit,” was the first thing to fly out of his mouth.

William chuckled, “tell me about it. I know it’s been worse than hell for you, but it hasn’t been easy on me either.”

He sighed, burying his face in his hands. “I graduated two days ago, and I’m already regretting it.”

“Don’t let the stress get to you,” William advised, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“It’s not,” he mumbled, massaging his temple with the tips of his fingers. “I have a damn annoying and psychotic demon inside of my head.”

“True. It could be worse though.”

Dipper lifted his head and glared at the blond. “You’ve got to be kidding me. How can it get any worse than this?”

“Cipher could have chosen to hurt your sister,” William murmured, gazing back at him evenly. "He could have taken a million other things, demanded things of more value to you than a small space in your mind in exchange for your life.”

“You’re defending him now?”

“I’m just saying,” the blond told him gently. “Bill Cipher can be dangerous if he wants to be. To me, it seems like you should be counting yourself lucky. It’s rare for a demon such as himself to find a human that he likes well enough to bind his mind to.”

“Lucky?! H-he threatened me!” Dipper spluttered, his face growing red. “There’s no way in _hell_ that I could ever like him!”

“Is that the case?” the elder teen mused, smirking wickedly. “The way I see it, you’re just embarrassed to be holding the affections of a demon as powerful as Bill.”

“I’m _not_ embarrassed.” His voice grew rough with anger, brought forth from the blonde’s assumption that he had feelings for a _triangle_ , of all things. “Bill tried to kill me and forced me into making a deal that I never agreed to. If you even think for a _second_ that I like him-”

“Have you ever thought that maybe the demon’s just attempting to catch your attention in the only way he knows how?” William interrupted, his gaze changing to one of genuine curiosity. “In all my studies of demons and the like, I’ve discovered that they don’t completely understand the way humans live.”

“He’s doing a hell of a job then,” Dipper deadpanned. “He’s spent the last several years making an enemy out of me, Will. I don’t see why on earth he’d suddenly do a 180 and try to grab my attention.”

“I’ve spent all my time studying him,” William pointed out quietly. “Honestly, nothing about this whole situation makes any sense to me either.” He barked out a short laugh, running his hand through his hair in what looked like frustration. “Why would he want to bind himself to a human in the first place? He views them as nothing more than toys…pawns in his own little game of chance!”

“…Are you okay?” Dipper asked quietly, startled by the elder teen’s sudden outburst of ire.

“Trust me kid,” Will bit out through slightly gritted teeth. “I’ve looked at every source that I could, double checked each journal a million times over again with the blacklight. I’m no closer to finding any answers than you were when you were twelve.” The blond sighed then, and they both fell into a more than awkward silence as Dipper tried to sort out his thoughts.

_Bill?_ he tried calling out mentally, wondering if the demon was around. For all he knew, the demon could have been watching over somebody else in Gravity Falls, someone whose mind wasn’t as clouded as his was. He was met with silence, and gave up after a moment.

Dipper leaned his head against William’s tense shoulder, closing his eyes dizzily. Whatever he’d been given was really starting to do a number on his brain, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was on purpose. The instant effect that the drink had had on him was nice at first but it was starting to ebb away, leaving him feeling more drained than he had that morning.

“You still holding up over there, Dippingsauce?” the elder teen asked nonchalantly, his good mood seeming to have returned.

“Not really,” he groaned, his head beginning to throb with the threat of an oncoming headache. “Whatever the fuck you gave me was strong.”

“It was meant to be,” Will answered cheerfully.

“You know…” Dipper perused after staying silent for a couple of minutes. A second wave of the alcohol’s effect hit him then, slightly slurring the rest of his speech. “I’ve gotta a theory ‘bout chou,” he muttered.

"You do?" William hummed in Dipper's ear teasingly. Somehow, of _course,_ he was still completely sober whereas Dipper was the opposite. "This should be good~ Please, do tell."

"I had this thought." Suddenly, Dipper's mind was clearing just enough so he could speak openly, as if he'd never drunken anything in the first place. Had Will done that? "Y'see, you're a lot like him. You have the same sounding nickname, and you dress like he does. When I met you yesterday, I thought that you were Bill Cipher. Dumb, right?"

"You have sharp eyes," the blond murmured lowly in his ear, sending a chill down his spine. "What if, say, your little theory about me is correct?"

"You can't be Bill," he whispered, his heart almost stopping in disbelief. "Because you see, I like you too much for you to be him. You're too nice...and you’re more helpful to me than he ever was. It wouldn’t add up."

“That’s an interesting perspective.”

“You’re an interesting person,” he breathed, sluggishly looking over to see that William was staring at him intently, a slight gleam of victory shining in his eye.

“Today’s been a day,” the elder teen murmured, changing the subject. “Did your drink help relieve it? The stress Cipher caused?”

“Mostly,” he sighed, closing his eyes again and ignoring the impulse that beat inside of him, reminding him why he stopped being near people in the first place.

“I can help with that, you know.” There was a pause and then the brunette’s headache slowly began to fade, William’s doing for sure. He’d said that he worked with magic, right?

He opened his eyes in surprise to find that William had shifted and was now on his knees, his gaze even more intense. “H-how?”

“You likely won’t remember this when you wake up tomorrow,” the blond warned. “Half the reason I gave you alcohol in the first place…to forget.”

He held out a hand for Dipper to take, and there was little hesitation when he did a moment later. William stood and he automatically followed, curious as to where he would be taken next. He was gently pushed back until he pressed against a pocket of air that came up like a wall, which he was pretty sure was also William’s doing.

“I want to try something,” William breathed, stepping closer to Dipper still. “I’ve experienced a lot of things in life, but never something like this.”

The blond leaned in and brushed his lips against Dipper’s briefly, then pulled away again. He blinked a couple of times, then grinned in a way that made the brunette melt.

“You…just kissed me,” he whispered, blushing.

“I did.”

“W-why would you do that?”

“I’ve never kissed a person before.”

He stared unabashedly at the blond, shaking his head slightly to be sure that he wasn’t just dreaming. “How?”

William shrugged, “never on my to-do list, I guess.”

Dipper hesitated before speaking again. “D-do you want to try again? T-that wasn’t a kiss.”

William’s gaze was serious as he raised a hand gently to touch Dipper’s face. “It’d be taking advantage of you Dipper, and as much fun as it sounds, I’m morally obligated to _not_ do so.”

“I want you to,” he blurted out suddenly, his face burning with embarrassment. “I-you said it yourself, this is just to release our stress, right?”

“It wouldn’t mean a thing to you?”

“No.” _Yes. Not that I want you to know that._

“I honestly don’t have a clue of what I’m doing,” the blonde admitted, trailing the hand that had been resting on his cheek down to a shoulder.

“Neither do I, so we’re kind of even.”

William’s breath fanned across his cheek as he brushed his lips against the skin. “I _really_ don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have,” he murmured, his other hand making its way around his neck to rest on his back. “Kissing you would do that.”

“It doesn’t matter if I won’t remember though,” he argued breathlessly.

“Does too. I’d remember, and that’s bad enough.”

“Think of it as my apology then. Fuck, I treated you like shit earlier.”

“That makes no sense,” William whispered as he leaned in. “But you’ve convinced me.” The blonde brushed his lips gently over Dipper’s another time, then leaned back again. Dipper gazed into his serious eye, watching as the elder teen seemed to study him.

Finally after about an agonizing minute of waiting, Dipper finally gave in to the primal instincts within him and wound a hand around William’s neck, his fingers burying themselves in the wondrously soft locks of gold. He tugged the blonde’s head forward and pressed his lips against William’s soft ones, molding them to the shape. A moment passed in which Dipper assumed that William was too startled to do anything, and then he kissed him back. Dipper pulled away after about half a minute and stared at the blond affectionately.

“That’s how you kiss,” he found himself whispering as he turned a deep shade of red.

“We should head back,” William murmured, a hand coming up to draw figure eights on his cheek absentmindedly. There was a small amount of emotion in his cerulean eye, something that Dipper decided was surprise.  “Before Mabel and Pacifica start to notice our questionable absence.”

“If they’re around,” he replied. “What if they’re not?”

“I’ll get us back to the Shack. They can walk.”

“That’s horrible. And cruel.”

“You like the idea though.” A small smirk ghosted over the blonde’s lips. “You can’t deny it either Dipper, the look in your eyes says more than enough.”

He didn’t even notice that they were back on the rooftop of the club until William was gently coaxing him back to the doorway they’d come from. He followed him in, looking around carefully for signs of either Mabel or Paz, not surprised when he found no trace of them.

“Do you think they’re even here?” He had to yell above the music to be heard, but Will’s soft voice cut through it easily.

“One way to find out.”

And suddenly the blond was tugging a little harder on the hand that he held as they cut through the crowds, the only destination in mind being the place they’d just come from. They stepped outside, scanning the street side for Dipper’s car.

A quiet chuckle escape Will’s lips when their search turned up unsuccessful. “Those little brats hijacked your car.”

“I…” Dipper faltered, digging his hands into his pockets in search of his keys. He groaned when he realized that, at some point while he’d been jealously watching the blond flirt with the bartender, Mabel must have taken his keys. “Damn it,” he hissed lowly, his face growing red from embarrassment. “W-what now?”

“We could always call them,” Will mused thoughtfully. “Or I can save us half the trouble and just go call a taxi. Or, we could start walking.”

“Gravity Falls is half an hour away!” he exclaimed. “It would take us forever to get there!”

“I’ll call that taxi then.” The blond walked away a short distance and pulled out his cell phone, hitting a few numbers rapidly then holding it up to his ear.

He returned a few minutes later, smiling widely. “Taxi will be here in a few minutes. What kind of revenge do you want?”

Dipper shook his head quickly, unsure if he heard correctly. “Revenge?”

“Do you have any idea how much that taxi driver is gonna charge me to get there?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized immediately, looking down at the ground. “I can cover it…”

“Don’t even. I’ve got a pretty nice allowance saved up, so I’ll take care of it. In any case, the girls need to pay for their insolence. What kind sounds good to you?”

“None, really,” he mumbled. “I’m sure this is just some misunderstanding.”

“We could egg her car,” the blond suggested. “Or draw on their faces with sharpies.”

“That second one is actually kind of appealing,” he admitted as a yellow taxi pulled to the curb in front of them. “What should we draw?”

“Whatever you feel like,” William replied easily as he climbed into the taxi. Dipper followed, feeling like an idiot. “Duh.”

Dipper closed his eyes sometime later as the taxi slowly made its way towards Gravity Falls, weaving through traffic and finally making its way into the wooded countryside. At one point, he leaned his head against William’s shoulder, and he felt the elder teen secure an arm around his waist in response.

“Don’t go dropping off to sleep now,” William whispered softly into his ear. “We’re getting closer and I don’t think you want to suffer the humiliation of having to be carried into the house.”

“’m tired though,” he complained.

“And I’ll hit you if you drool on my jacket.”

“Can’t be worse than what Cipher did.”

The blond under him stiffened for just a moment before responding. “You know, there’s an X Files marathon on right now. I was going to stay up and suffer through it with you…”

“Really?” An eye shot open, the news warding off any sleep he might have been descending into. “I’m game for a marathon.”

“No, no.” William stated teasingly. “All young Dippers need their rest. I’ll carry you to your room like the little baby you are.”

“Please don’t,” he groaned, lifting his head from the blonde’s shoulder. “Is all that really necessary?”

“Of course it is.” The Mystery Shack loomed ahead, and Dipper took it as his cue to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

William paid the driver and they stepped out of the cab and started toward the front door, Dipper stumbling every few steps.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as they made it to the door. “I’ll totally pay you back for the ride.”

“Nonsense.”

Dipper let out a small squeak as the blond unlocked the door and picked him up, cradling the brunette in his arms. “Now, be a good little kitten and shut up,” William murmured as he carried him inside.

He blushed in mortification. “Who told you about that?”

“Mabel.”

“Of course she did.”

Instead of going up to the twins’ shared room like he’d said, William carried Dipper over to the couch and sat down, settling the brunette in his lap.

“Hey!” Dipper protested, his face growing redder. “I-I thought we were going to my room!”

The blonde snorted, “and walk in on your sister and Pacifica doing who knows what? No thanks! I’d rather stay here and suffer through the X Files.”

“Let me move, then,” he muttered. “And at least grab a blanket. The shack normally gets pretty cold at night.”

He scooted down to settle comfortably between William’s legs, blushing furiously. The blond took a blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over them, then grabbed the remote and flipped to the channel that the marathon was on.

“I really don’t understand how you can stand this,” William muttered sometime later as Dipper watched with rapt attention. “The facts are all wrong, and they’re going about it wrong too.”

“How should they be, then?” He asked curiously.

“There’s no way I’m going to tell you,” the blond deadpanned. “If I do, I know that you’re going to go outside later and try it.”

“That’s rude,” Dipper murmured, shifting slightly. “I thought you liked mystery hunting too.”

“I do,” William replied attentively. “I’m not going to elaborate, because the only way to track aliens is dangerous. Your life isn’t worth that much knowledge, kid.”

“And there we go with that nickname again,” he muttered, stifling a yawn.

“You should be getting some sleep,” the blonde chastised, turning the volume on the television down to a low hum. “Instead of staying up and watching this. Isn’t your great uncle going to start teaching you how to run the Shack tomorrow?”

Dipper stretched, managing a small nod. “Yeah…I’ll be hungover as fuck, too. This’ll be fun.”

“If you sleep, the hangover probably won’t be as bad as you think.”

“You’re right,” he grumbled, leaning back to rest his head on Will’s chest. “It’ll be ten times worse.”

William chuckled warmly. “I promise you, it’ll be gone when you wake up in the morning. Just close your eyes…clear your mind.”

“Okay,” Dipper breathed, yawning again. He closed his eyes lightly, allowing the soft noise of the X Files marathon to lull him to sleep.

* * *

A shift in air was what prompted Dipper to open his eyes to a suddenly grayscale world. He sighed in annoyance and shifted into a sitting position.

“”You may as well come out,” he muttered dryly to the air. “I know you’re there Bill.”

“Give the boy a cookie!” Bill exclaimed in his usual enigmatic tone as he materialized out of nowhere. “I’ll say, it’s been quite a day Pine Tree! And even better, you’re already getting used to me being in your mind!”

“I still hate you,” he deadpanned, leaning against a tree that had suddenly popped out of the ground – most likely his mind’s doing. “I accept what you forced onto me only because I dislike the consequences of defying you more. As soon as I can find a way to banish you back to where you came from, you’re out.”

A slight red tinged the demon’s yellow form, but his tone was cheerful as he replied. “Sorry Piney, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon! Besides, even if you could find a way to get me out of your head, it’ll be impossible to send me away for good.”

“Wha-how?” Dipper found himself asking curiously.

“Just a few cleverly placed deals here and there,” Bill replied in an almost bored tone, his body returning to yellow. “Nothing you really need to be concerning yourself with Pine Tree.”

Dipper fell silent at Cipher’s words, thinking deeply. Had Stanley been right about the protective tattoos he’d been suggesting? Would they really force the demon out of his mind for good?

“Only for as long as you want me out of it,” the demon stated smugly. “I’ll still be able to invade your dreams like I did your great uncle’s mind that one time, so it won’t do you much good.”

“It’ll be enough,” the brunette ground out, dragging a stick over the dirt to draw a small caricature of the triangle. “It’s enough for my Grunkle, so it’ll be for me too.”

“I won’t be gone for very long,” Cipher’s voice dropped a few octaves, and the demon floated closer to where Dipper was stretched out. “Just you wait Pine Tree, you’ll come running back to me when you’re at your worst. And then…the pretty little tattoo that you’re thinking of getting will be useless.”

“You’re wrong,” Dipper muttered, refusing to look at the demon and give him the satisfaction that his words had gotten to him. “I’ll teach myself to block you out, like Stan did.”

“You can try,” Bill hummed, mimicking the position that Dipper was resting in. “I’ve seen the possible futures kid, and in only one of them were you ever without me.”

“It’s possible then.”

“Highly unlikely.” The demon cackled then, sending a chill down the brunette’s spine. “You were only without me because I chose to stay away from you. Not the other way around.”

“You’re lying.” He was unsure now, thoughts stumbling over one another as they tried to make sense of what Bill was predicting. “You have to be. You can’t see into the future…it’s impossible.” The laughter only grew, echoing in his ears until he recoiled and curled himself into a ball, attempting to block out the sound.

“That’s beautiful, kid!” Cipher exclaimed, a look of amusement crossing over his eye. “I’m an omnipotent demon that has the power to destroy all of mankind and yet you think that I can’t gaze into the future? Hilarious!”

He lifted his head to glare at the dream demon, stiffening as a high-pitched shriek broke the air, a second one joining it moments after. “Mabel,” he breathed, recognizing the first sound as his sister’s immediately.

Bill cackled, “I wouldn’t go back there just yet kid - it’s not a pretty sight!”

“You have to let me go back!” He shouted, jumping to his feet. “She’s in trouble!”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Bill chortled, and he was suddenly pushed roughly out of the mindscape.

His eyes shot open, the sound of laughter piercing his ears. He blinked a couple of times, confused. Mabel was in danger…wasn’t she?

“Morning,” a low voice rumbled from under him, and his head shot up in alarm.

Somehow overnight, Dipper had turned over and decided to use William’s chest as a makeshift – surprisingly soft – pillow. His face turned red in mortification as he noticed that not only had he used the elder teen as a pillow, but that they had also somehow managed to completely tangle themselves up in each other as they slept.

“You should see your faces!” Mabel’s voice rang out, bringing his attention to her. So _that’s_ where the shrieking in his dream had come from…

Mabel and Pacifica were both standing in front of the TV, practically falling over each other as they laughed. Mabel was holding up her camera, and Pacifica was twirling a sharpie in her fingers with a devilish grin on her face.

A quiet chuckle prompted Dipper to look back at William. The blonde’s face was accessorized with a sharpied goatee and mustache.

“You really _should_ see your face,” William murmured quietly. “I don’t think you’d like it very much…but considering their sense of humor, it’s almost cute.”

“What did they do?” he asked, quickly scrambling to get off the older teenager.

Pacifica started laughing loudly again then. She fished into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small compact mirror, then handed it to Dipper. “Good luck getting that off!” she giggled.

He opened the compact nervously, almost shrieking when he saw what they’d scribbled on his face. They’d clipped his hair back and drew over his birthmark, outlining it, and wrote _Property of William_ on his right cheek in big letters.

“Mabel!” he screeched, panicking and turning a whole new shade of red at the side. “Grunkle Stan’s supposed to be teaching me how to lead tours today! I can’t go outside like this!”

“I kind of like it,” William teased with a small smirk. “But that might be because it’s my name and not somebody else’s.”

He was about ready to snap at the blond, but faltered as the words sprang to his lips. What was he _doing?_ He’d woken up, terrified that something bad was happening to his sister, and instead he got to see her laughing, everything as right as rain. True, his face was probably going to be inked for the rest of the week but it wasn’t anything that his Pine Tree hat and, dare he say it – some concealer – wouldn’t fix.

He managed a small chuckle, looking around at the jovial expressions of his friends. _William had a point,_ he mused. _Bill could have taken so much more from me…but he didn’t._

Things would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing an early update this week, because I have a solo competition this week =)  
> Enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this small epiphany sometime a couple of weeks ago, and my brain magically decided that this fic needed a plot. So now it actually kind of has one. It's not going to be a solve-a-mystery-in-a-few-chapters kind of plot, I think it's going to be drawn out over a large length of time, just to be smart about things.  
> That being said, I think the first five chapters kind of served to set the stage and mood for how the rest of the thing is going to pan out - kind of.
> 
> As a second note, I checked the stats for this story yesterday, and I was very pleasantly shocked at what I saw. So...I want to give all my readers and followers and bookmarkers a major thank you, because it's literally made me the happiest person alive. Without you guys, there's not too much of a point for writing.

 

"Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?!"

"Hmm?" Dipper lifted his head wearily, stifling a yawn. "Sorry, Grunkle Stan...today's just been kind of an off day for me."

"Tell me about it," Stan muttered, setting an unopened bottle of water and a couple of pills down in front of him. "Take this. You're dismissed."

He popped the pills into his mouth and took a few sips of the cold water. “This headache is killing me.” He gave a cheeky grin, “if I die, everything goes to Mabel, okay?”

"You know, I thought you promised you _weren't_ going to drink anymore,” Stanley mused, walking into the gift shop from the outside entrance, a small stream of tourists behind him.

"I didn't," he told his grandfather, taking another few sips of water. "Drink anything, I mean. I think last night's dinner might just be disagreeing with me or something."

One of Stanley’s eyebrows raised skeptically. “Right. You ate something bad, so now you have a headache. Even though I’m pretty sure you get a stomachache when you eat bad food.”

“I had one of those too,” Dipper said quickly, avoiding his grandfather’s gaze. “W-William cured it this morning though. Said that the headache was supposed to go away too….maybe the spell just didn’t completely work?”

“I highly doubt that,” Stan snorted, prying his attention away from the shop for once. “You know, you’re way too trusting of people, kid. We’ll have to beat that out of you before you take over the Shack.”

Dipper chuckled, standing. "I doubt that's going to happen. A man can only be broken once in his lifetime, and that happened when you lied to me about everything my first summer here. I don't trust everyone, but I know an ally when I see one."

"You and Will seem pretty close for you only being here for about a month," Stanley observed, coming up to stand beside Dipper at the register. "Anything going on there?"

"Just friends," he dismissed, moving out of his grandfather's way. He walked over the racks against one of the walls that held a small amount of hats, one line in particular holding an all too familiar and dearly missed blue and white cap with a pine tree on the front. He picked one up, tracing the outline of the tree with a finger. "Hey, do you think I can keep this?"

"Don't change the subject. You two seemed like more than 'just friends' when your great uncle got up to open the shack a few weeks back and caught you two cuddling on the couch."

"I was drunk," Dipper protested, placing the cap on his head. It was a bit of a tight fit because it was unused, but still perfect. “So therefore, I had no control of the situation.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Stan snorted, focusing his gaze on the tourists around the room in an everlasting hunt for suspicious activity.

Dipper allowed his mind to wander, his gaze unfocusing slightly as he thought. It had been three weeks since he’d graduated, and he’d never felt more at home than he did in the shack. After the eventful first day back at the Falls, everything had settled down into a comfortable routine. He, Mabel, and William would all work in the shack in the morning four days out of the week and go hang out with Pacifica in the town around three. Occasionally it would only be him and William to wander around aimlessly, on the days Mabel and Pacifica decided to hang out around her house and gossip. Dipper had become fast friends with the blond, mentally vowing to never speak about what transpired at the club his first day back. He’d been too nervous to talk about it, and William never mentioned it. Therefore, it stayed buried in the past.

 _You know, I can take over your body and tell them the truth,_ Bill teased, making his first appearance for the day. _Or better yet, tell that boy how you_ really _feel about him._

Dipper closed his eyes wearily, willing for the demon to shut up. "You're not helping," he grumbled unconsciously.

"You know, Dipper, you really should consider getting some tattoos," Grunkle Stan piped up. "That damn demon inside of your head is probably the reason you're so tired and distracted."

Actually, William had treated him to margaritas after closing the shack the previous night, but he wasn’t about to tell Stan or Stanley that. "I probably just need a nap or something," he countered dismissively, rubbing a hand over his temple. "Bill's not doing any of this."

"You sure about that?" Stan questioned gruffly.

"Positive. I just haven't been sleeping well."

Dipper opted to go upstairs and take a nap, walking out of the gift shop and into the house after a muttered 'goodbye' to his family. He headed straight upstairs, glad that Mabel was working. As much as he loved his twin, the chance to sleep - or think - would be nice.

There were still unopened boxes cluttering his side of the room that he really needed to take care of, but that could wait. He sidestepped around the mess and came to a perch in front of the chest that had already been moved to its place in front of his bed, contemplating on whether or not he should open it. In the end, the desire to read through the journals won over his worry about the demon in his head and he tentatively took out the key and unlocked it.

 _Finally decided to let me destroy those precious books of yours?_ Bill mocked.

"Never in a million years, Cipher," Dipper muttered, taking out Journal 3. He walked over to his bed and sat down with one leg tucked under his body, the other left to dangle.

He opened the book and began to read over information that had long since been ingrained into his memory, slowly flipping through the pages. He paused when he came across Bill's page, wondering if the demon was still watching.

 _I'm here, Pine Tree._ Bill's reply was quiet, and only a moment passed before he felt the demon's mental presence come up beside his. _May I?_

Dipper hesitated for a moment before granting his consent. There were more copies of the journals stashed away in a place that he didn't even know the location of, so Cipher wouldn't accomplish much if he did manage to destroy the book.

A minute passed in which Bill took half control of his body and raised the journal to an almost eye-level.

"There are symbols all over these pages," Bipper muttered, flipping a few pages. "Did those useless meatsacks you look up to ever think to teach you code?"

"I can read and decipher a few of the better known ones," Dipper murmured back. "Stanley said that he'd teach me the code he uses when I'm just a bit older." He studied the pages with his eye, taking a longer look at the symbols that he's always barely glanced over before then.

"What a waste," Bipper snorted, flipping back to his page. "At least the old man made my drawing look accurate."

"What happened between you guys anyway?" Dipper questioned hesitantly after a few minutes of silence.

"Can't talk about it, kid. Made a deal."

"Stanley can't say anything about it either, can he?" Dipper sighed glumly, leaning back to rest against the wall. "How am I supposed to discover all of the secrets of this town if you're making deals left and right to cover them all up?"

"I never said that the old man couldn't talk." Bipper laughed then, sending an involuntary chill down his spine. "Maybe if you pester him a bit, he'll tell you."

"Maybe," Dipper murmured. "I'm not going to lie....this is way more bearable than I thought it was going to be."

"I'm not a bad person, Piney." Bipper murmured, then receded back into his mind for a moment. _Your grandfather just bit off more than he could chew, and your great uncle had the nerve to blame me for it._

Images suddenly flashed before his eyes and he struggled to keep up with them. There was the portal that had been destroyed that first summer, except it was fully active. Another flash, and it changed to the journal. Fresh blood glinted on the then-white pages of the journal that was flipped to Bill's entry. Another few flashes of memories that he couldn't grasp, and then Bill took half-control of him again.

Dipper shook his head quickly to clear his mind. "You're _sure_ you can't show me?" he pressed curiously.

"You're out of luck, Pine Tree." Bipper replied evenly. "The old man closed every possible loophole when we made the deal. You should count yourself lucky that I showed you what I did."

"Damn," he sighed, closing his eyes. Bill relinquished his half-control of Dipper's mind, leaving an almost empty space where he had been. Dipper hesitated for a moment in worry, then spoke. "C-can I take a nap? Without seeing you or anything?"

 _Asking to stay away from me? What do I get in return?_ Bill questioned, and the brunette could have sworn that the demon sounded oddly content and amused.

"Can you not make a deal for once?" Dipper groused, pulling his hat down over his eyes and shifting to get more comfortable.

 _Deals make me who I am,_ Bill told him slowly. His tone had gone quiet again, and Dipper thought that he could hear traces of remorse in it. _To not insist that anyone, or even myself, obtain something without a deal is to prove to others that I have a soul...that I can feel. It's a weakness._

"Then why tell me all of this?" Dipper asked, confused. "I can just use it against you in the future."

 _You can't plan anything without me knowing,_ Bill stated simply. _I think my secret's fairly safe with you for the time being. I can erase the memory if need be, and there's always a good bit of blackmail hiding in a person's brain. You wouldn't dare._

"What do you want, then?" Dipper finally muttered, giving up.

_Just go to sleep Pine Tree. I'll take my payment later, when you're able to think straight._

When he finally managed to fall into a light sleep, he didn't dream.

* * *

Dipper awoke some time later to almost absolute silence, the quiet sounds from downstairs and the birds chirping outside being the only things he heard. The room was bathed in a deep orange glow from the setting sun, and he felt more at peace than he had since arriving at Gravity Falls.

 _You need to wake up Piney,_ Bill muttered to him. The demon sounded distracted, but Dipper decided to not question it. _It’s getting late, and your grandfather already started dinner._

Dipper stifled a yawn. “How long was I out?” he questioned, sorely tempted to lie back down.

_A good few hours. Your sister came up here a couple of times and checked your pulse. She left a note stating that Stanford wants you to finish unpacking your stuff before the night is over._

“I’ll do it later,” he grumbled, rubbing blearily at his eyes. “How do you know all this anyway? Don’t you have better things to do than watch my family?”

 _I know everything,_ Bill reminded him. _The people in this town are stupid and boring, and your family is the biggest threat to me. If I know what’s going on all the time, you guys can’t surprise me._

“That makes sense,” he breathed out, still mostly incoherent. “How long did you say it would be until dinner?”

_I did not specify a time, Pine Tree. Based on the meal that you humans are planning on eating though, it will take a while to be completed. Perhaps it would be a wise idea to unpack while we wait? It would greatly ease the workload for the rest of the night._

“We?” Dipper questioned, amused by the demon’s wording. “Who said anything about a ‘we’?”

_I did. I want to take half control of your body again Pine Tree._

He hesitated. “Bill….why do you possess me so much? Is it so you can eventually just take over my body to rule the world or something?”

Cipher laughed inside of his mind. _How many times will I have to call you stupid before you finally aren’t? I like having a human body, that’s all._

“There has to be some ulterior motive though,” he argued, finally sitting up and ignoring the protest from his muscles. “You’re you.”

_Trust me kid, I’ll get what’s mine eventually. There’s really no motive in me doing this – I just like to._

“I can accept that,” Dipper murmured with a small nod. Bill automatically took his share of control of the brunette’s body and made him stand.

“You need to start unpacking,” Bipper proclaimed. “Now would be a preferable time, because it’ll make your meatsack hungrier.”

“Where to start, though?” Dipper questioned, looking around the room.

“Why not with where you began?” Bipper questioned, grinning. “Your clothes? It makes the most sense, since it’s only one box.”

“Sure,” Dipper agreed, and they began.

They chatted casually while working, sometimes about meaningful things and sometimes about things that Bill calmly called mundane. The demon surprisingly offered up plenty of information that Dipper found interesting and in return, Bill got to do most of the handling of his body. When they finished putting his clothes away, they moved onto his boxes of books that he couldn’t stand to leave behind.

“Look, Piney,” Bipper was arguing lightly. “All I’m saying is that they literally have no purpose for their existence, and that they’re literally the stupidest creatures that paranormal could have ever decided to research. No sane person would miss them if they just happened to fall off the face of this doomed planet.”

“Mabel might,” Dipper countered as he shelved books. “Even if they did try to make her their queen. She’s sentimental like that.”

“It gives the rest of us a bad name,” Bipper grumbled, drawing the back of a hand quickly over his forehead when Dipper paused in his work.

“Why do you care?” the brunette asked curiously.

“Trust me, I don’t. Speaking of Mabel, she’s coming up here to tell you that dinner’s almost done. She knows that you’re up.”

Surely enough, barely another minute passed before there was a small knock on the door.

"Hey Dipper?" Mabel opened the door of their shared room slightly and poked her head in. "Are you feel-" Her words were cut off with a sharp gasp, her eyes growing wide and her face paling slightly as she got a good look at him.

"Bill!" she snarled, taking a threatening step toward him. "What did you do to him?!"

"Calm down, Shooting Star," Bipper murmured lowly, holding his hands out in a form of peace. Of _course_ the demon had to be the one to speak first, further justifying Mabel's suspicion. "Piney here is still fine. We were just unpacking together."

"Stan!" Mabel yelled in warning as she took a small step backward. "Bi-"

In an instant, Bill had launched Dipper's body forward and tackled his twin to the ground, securing an arm tightly around her neck. Surprisingly, it was Dipper who spoke next.

"Call him off Mabes," he hissed, loosening his arm slightly. "Give me a minute to explain everything." _What are you doing, Bill?!_

"Hah! Like I'd ever believe a word that came out of _your_ mouth, demon!" Mabel retorted as she elbowed him in the gut. He choked, and she took the opportunity it presented to flip their positions, effectively pinning him to the floor and rendering him defenseless.

"Mabel!" he gasped as her hands went to his throat and squeezed. It was enough for black spots to cloud his vision, but not to kill. "I-it's me!"

"How long have you had to rehearse _that_ line?" Mabel spat, giving his throat another squeeze. "You're going to pass out Bipper, and then I'll find a way to end you. Permanently."

"That's a cute threat, Star," Bipper snarled, grabbing one of her wrists. "But killing your brother isn't gonna help your situation any. You need to learn to stay out of our affairs."

Guilt briefly crossed across his twin's face, and her grip on his neck loosened just enough for him to greedily gulp in a few lungfuls of air.

"Mabel," Dipper urged, gesturing to his face with his free hand. "You have to listen to me. Look at my eyes, Mabes. One of them is still normal. Bill isn't completely possessing me….I'm still here." _You need to go back into my mind for a while,_ he told Bill. _It's the only way to convince her that we're telling the truth._

 _Very well then,_ the demon replied, slipping back into the recesses of Dipper's mind and giving the brunette full control of his body again.

Dipper knew that his eye had gone back to normal by the way Mabel looked at him - guilt and apology reflecting in her own eyes as she released his neck.

"I'm so sorry Dipper," she apologized instantly, scrambling off of him. "I-I didn't know…"

"It's not your fault," he interrupted, rubbing his throat slowly. "Where'd you learn how to do that though? I don't remember you taking any lessons when we lived back in Piedmont."

"Grunkle Stan taught me a few years ago," she murmured with a sheepish grin. "He said that you were too weak to fight off monsters, so I needed to know how to protect you."

An eyebrow lifted in disbelief. "By strangling them? Mabel, what if Multibear decided that we weren't allies anymore and decided to try attacking? You'd have nothing on him."

"Maybe he also said something about strangling any boys if they tried anything funny," she mumbled, looking down at the floor. "I mean, you know, before I came out to him as bi and everything."

"You sound ashamed," Dipper observed, puzzled. "I think it's pretty cool that he wanted you to be able to kill anybody that dared treat you wrong. Even cooler that you can if you wanted to."

“I’m not ashamed,” Mabel said softly, looking up at him again. “Well, I am, but not because I was taught. I could have seriously hurt you Dipper. Why was Bill possessing you? And why are you okay with it?”

“We’ve been doing this for a while now,” Dipper admitted, sitting up. “I still don’t completely trust him, but he hasn’t tried hurting me either. And he can’t just possess me whenever he feels like it – I have to agree.”

She frowned, her eyebrows knitting in thought. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? I almost killed you.”

“It didn’t cross my mind,” he answered honestly. “And would you please get over that? You didn’t kill me, and that’s all that matters.”

“Is….” Mabel hesitated for a moment. “Is your mind still okay, and everything? The Stans don’t seem very worried about it, but I am.”

“Cipher hasn’t altered anything,” he reassured. “In fact, he’s given me more information than I could have hoped for when we were kids.”

 _Can I come back now?_ Bill asked irritably. _You’ve explained everything to her, and I’m bored._

“Fine,” Dipper sighed aloud. He made sure to keep his gaze locked with Mabel’s as Bill took half-control of him this time, to reassure her that he really wasn’t going anywhere. She watched the process with the same sort of fascination that Dipper had the first time Bill had halfway possessed him.

“You’re really still yourself?” Mabel questioned softly, studying his eyes intently. “This isn’t some trick?”

“You know, that’s the beautiful thing about this deal!” Bipper exclaimed, grinning widely. “I really could be tricking you, and you’d never know the difference!”

“He’s kidding!” Dipper said hastily.

Mabel smiled, standing. “I know, Dip-dop. The two of you actually talk completely different when I focus on it, even if Cipher says he can trick me. Dinner’s going to be done soon, okay? And….Bill should probably disappear before you come down. Just to keep you safe.” With that, she left. Dipper immediately threw his hands up in the air.

“And what the hell was that, Bill? Attacking Mabel like that?!”

Bipper grunted in response. “I might’ve panicked, kid. We don’t want to get the others meddling into this, now do we? If she had managed to call them up here…” Dipper sighed.

“Fine. Just… don’t do that again. You need to learn to handle your reactions better.” He gave a nod of agreement, and they went back to unpacking.

He worked for a while in a silence that was only broken by the occasional comment from Bill. When he finished with the third box, he decided to head downstairs for dinner.

 _Are you sure I can’t stick around?_ Bill complained forlornly. _It’s been forever since I’ve gotten a chance to experience taste with your mouth!_

“I’m positive,” Dipper deadpanned, rubbing his temple. “It would make Grunkle Stan and Stanley ask questions and then they’d be angry, and that’s not something I need.”

 _It would be fun though,_ Bill pointed out in another attempt at being allowed to co-exist with Dipper while he ate. _Stanford gets this little twitch in his eye when he’s ready to kill someone, and Stanley’s face twists._

“Fun for you, maybe. You aren’t the one who would have to deal with the repercussions of their anger,” he reiterated for what felt like the thousandth time.

 _This isn’t fair,_ Bill whined as Dipper walked into the dining room. _You owe me, Pine Tree, and I think I’m gonna cash in on that. I demand that you let me possess you while you eat tonight._

“For the last time, no!” Dipper snapped, resting his head in his hands. “Not tonight, anyway.”

“Bill giving you trouble again?” Stanley’s inquisitive voice perused a few minutes later.

Dipper looked over his shoulder to see that his grandfather was leaning against the doorway, his face grim. “Yeah,” he sighed. “He wants to redeem a favor that I owe him. It’s nothing bad though,” he added, seeing the look that briefly crossed over Stanley’s face.

“What kind of deal did you make with him?” Stanley asked, sitting down in a chair across from his. “And why are you making deals with him in the first place? Damn it Dipper, this is the kind of shit that got you into this mess in the first place!”

“I know,” he murmured, not meeting his grandfather’s piercing gaze. “The deal was kind of stupid, but it doesn’t really matter because the favor that Cipher wants is stupid too. I can handle this, okay? There’s no need to worry.”

There was a pause before Stanley spoke again. “Has he been hurting you recently?”

Dipper shook his head. He and Bill were far from being friends, but Cipher’s presence in his mind had gotten bearable since the demon’s dramatics from Dipper’s first few days home. Bill refrained from using the mark on his neck as a torture device, and only sent small tingles of pain when Dipper was doing something that upset or angered him. Usually, it was enough to make the brunette stop.

 _You need to change the subject,_ Bill commented, his tone bored-sounding. _I don’t need the old man knowing what I’m up to, and their end of the deal was that they wouldn’t meddle in our affairs anymore. Tell him that he needs to quit bugging you, or the deal’s off._

Dipper sighed. “He says that you need to quit asking me questions like this,” he mumbled to Stanley. “Or else your guys’ deal is off.”

“Hey bro-bro!” Mabel interjected as she walked into the dining room carrying a couple of plates filled with food, cutting off whatever Stanley had been about to say. “I went ahead and grabbed dinner for you.”

He smiled at his sister, grateful for her kindness. “Thanks,” he told her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as she set the plate down. “Stan coming up?”

“He might,” Stanley muttered distractedly. “He’s busy working downstairs again with William. He instructed us to start eating without him.”

The older man left to get himself some dinner, and Mabel took his spot and began eating. Dipper followed suit, ignoring Bill’s grumbling from inside his head. The demon’s requests were puzzling to say the least, but Dipper wasn’t really too worried about it…he had plenty of time to figure out what the demon was plotting.

Dipper was in the middle of eating his dinner when he heard the telltale hiss of air and click of the vending machine being opened, then William’s low voice shortly after. A couple of minutes passed, and then William and Grunkle Stan entered the dining room, plates filled with food in hand.

Dipper got a second glance at William as the blond took a seat beside him, and had to double-take. There were heavy bags under the teen’s eyes and he looked more tired than ever, and the spark that seemed to be ever-present in his eyes had gone out.

“Are you okay?” he found himself whispering to his friend as Stan sat down beside his twin.

“’m fine,” William muttered back, immediately beginning to eat. “The…uh…studying and stuff has been wearing me out is all. I just need some sleep.”

Dipper nodded, still not taking his worried gaze off of the blond. There was silence in the room for a few minutes until Stanley spoke up.

“I was on my way back from the store yesterday,” Stanley started, his tone cautious. “When I saw some smoke coming from somewhere in the woods. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you Will?”

“Hmm?” The blonde looked up at the mention of his name. “Oh….no, I don’t. Do you think it might have been a phoenix?”

Stanford shook his head, “can’t have been. Phoenixes might be big on fire and all that but they don’t go randomly burning things. It could have just been a normal forest fire.”

“Can’t have been,” Stanley pointed out, echoing his twin’s words. “There weren’t any fire trucks around the area at all, and I highly doubt that the water sprites would have been kind enough to put the fire out themselves. This has been happening more frequently lately….it’s a controlled thing.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll go investigate tomorrow,” William sighed, rubbing his temple.

“It might just be some people camping,” Mabel pointed out. “The woods are perfect for that, aren’t they?”

William flashed a quick smile at her, though it looked forced in Dipper’s opinion. “The woods are privately owned, Sweet Pea. Nobody’s allowed to camp in there at any time, under any circumstance.”

“Who owns them?” Dipper asked curiously, thinking. If William was telling the truth, then how was he and Mabel able to get away with going in there all those summers?

William chuckled, “I do. Bought them a while back with the inheritance I got from my family. Because of the supernatural elements of the place, I decided to ban all tourists from going into the woods or camping in them.”

“I’ll come with you then,” Dipper declared, taking the last bite of his dinner. “If there’s a chance at finding some new creature the first time I go back in the woods, I’m gonna take it.”

“I’ll go too!” Mabel piped up excitedly. “Maybe I’ll finally find a unicorn!”

William laughed, his eyes momentarily lighting up. “Maybe you will. I honestly doubt that though, Mabel. Unicorns are very shy creatures and it’s almost impossible to earn their trust.”

“You sound like you know from experience,” Mabel observed, her tone light and curious.

The blond shrugged. “I’ve been around Gravity Falls for quite some time. The woods used to be my playing area when I was a kid.”

Stanley sighed, “tread carefully in the woods, you two. And Dipper, make sure you’ve got the journals and a first aid kit. William might be a magic user, but there’s nothing that will save you if you guys get separated.”

Dipper nodded and stood. “I will,” he promised. “It’s been a long day though, so I think I’ll get a quick shower in and go to bed.”

“Night Dipper!” Mabel exclaimed, leaning over and kissing his forehead tenderly. “Sweet dreams!”

“Not with Bill around,” he grumbled. “Night everyone.” With that, he exited the room and headed upstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys. I already apologized through tumblr, but I'm going to do it on here too - I am so sorry about the wait on this. It's been close to a month since I last updated. A month. On the brighter side of the spectrum, summer is here, so I should be able to focus just a bit more on this fic before school kicks back in and I begin trying to figure out college.  
> On an infinitely even more bright side, chapter eight is already in the works, and though I'm not so confident about it yet (my beta's in Costa Rica right now on vacation), I think it should hopefully be up by next Friday. Updates in the future won't be as frequent as I'd hoped, but maybe we can get two a month if I go bi-weekly? At any rate, I've discovered that having a plot in a fic is harder than it looks.

“I’m so excited!” Mabel squealed, bouncing up and down. “It’s been forever since we went into the woods!”

“Mmhmm…” Dipper mumbled distractedly, focusing on packing a small bag. He’d managed to stuff his copies of journals one and two into his backpack, but it was quickly becoming obvious to him that the third journal wasn’t going to fit.

Mabel paused to study his work intently. “I think you need a bigger bag, Bro Bro,” she commented. “Especially since Stanley’s gotten to work on binding a new journal for you.”

“I know,” he groaned, looking down in half-defeat. “I don’t want to go into town though, and I can’t leave any of this behind.”

“We can go see if William has one that you can use,” Mabel offered. “Or I can carry some of that stuff.”

Dipper hesitated, contemplating her suggestion. He trusted both Mabel and William with his life for sure, but the journals were still too valuable to just let out of his sight.

 _You let me handle number three yesterday,_ Bill commented. _Why are they any different?_

He sighed, ignoring Mabel’s quizzical glance at him. “You were also inside of my body, Cipher. That’s different.”

 _Won’t Shooting Star and William be travelling with you though?_ Bill pointed out, _if they are, isn’t it impossible for the journals to really go out of your sight? You’re being stupid, Pine Tree._

Dipper pondered that information for a moment, then nodded. “That makes sense.”

“What did he say?” Mabel asked curiously.

He shrugged, “told me I was being stupid. Is it okay if I have you carry number one and the first aid kit?”

She nodded, her cheerful smile replacing the previous look of confusion mixed with curiosity. “That’ll be fine.” She paused for a moment, “why don’t you ever just think your words to Bill? It gets confusing if you’re talking to thin air.”

“I-” Dipper faltered at that, asking himself the same question. Why didn’t he ever think of that? “Uh….I don’t know,” he finally muttered. “I guess I just didn’t think of it?”

Mabel chuckled. “It seems pretty obvious,” she pointed out, picking up the first and second journal. “If he’s in your mind, he can probably respond to your every thought.”

“That makes sense,” he murmured, tucking journal three into the bag with the first aid kit. _Why didn’t you tell me that?_ he thought scathingly to Bill. _I probably looked like an idiot._

 _You did,_ Bill responded cheerfully. _It was fun to watch people staring at you when you talked to yourself. It pissed Stanford off, knowing that you talk to me._

“Wonderful,” Dipper grumbled, zipping up the bag. “Do you have your camera?” he asked Mabel.

She nodded. “Duh! It’s in my sweater pocket!”

He opened his mouth to ask how it was possible for a sweater that looked like it didn’t have any pockets to have one, but decided that it was safer for him not to know.

“Hey guys!” William called out cheerfully the moment the twins stepped outside. The blond-haired teen was waiting for them at the edge of the forest, waving erratically.

“Hey Will!” Mabel exclaimed, returning the teen’s wave with just as much enthusiasm. She ran ahead of Dipper to get to the blond first, and immediately began babbling about how fun the day was going to be when she did. Dipper caught up to where they were at his own leisurely pace, content to let Mabel get out some energy before they set off.

“Are there any griffons?” Mabel was asking William excitedly as Dipper finally made it over to where they were. “Can we see them? Do you think I’ll be able to ride one?”

“Hold on there!” William laughed lightly, holding up a hand. “There are plenty of creatures hiding around in these woods for you to play with. Yes, there are griffons. Sorry, but they’re pretty moody, so you probably can’t ride one.”

Mabel’s smile slipped for a moment. “Oh,” she mumbled, kicking a rock. “Are all the creatures this secluded and finicky?”

“The larger ones probably are Mabel,” Dipper pointed out, entering the conversation. “They have more to fear about being found out than the gnomes do.”

William nodded in agreement. “Dipper is right. Gnomes are pretty chill and all, so they aren’t too worried about being found out. A phoenix or griffon on the other hand...if one of them were caught by a normal human being, they’d become tourist attractions and placed into captivity. That’s why I blocked off the forest from people.”

“Shall we get going?” Dipper asked quickly, cutting off Mabel’s next words. “I want to investigate this as quickly as possible, so we can have some down time to explore the rest of the woods. It’s been forever since we’ve been through here, and I want to see if anything major has changed since last summer.”

“Dipper.” Mabel spoke quietly, a low tone of warning in her voice. He looked over and caught her apprehensive gaze. _“Be careful,”_ she said slowly, emphasizing the words. _You’re slipping again,_ her stare seemed to say.

He smiled at her reassuringly, hoping that the gesture would calm her nerves. “I will be,” he promised.

“Good,” she replied evenly. “Will, you take Dipper and do whatever you boys do. I’m going to take the camera and the journals, and do some of my own cataloguing.”

William nodded once, placing a hand casually on Dipper’s shoulder. “Be careful,” he told her. “The woods might be safer in the day than at night, but you could still get hurt. Don’t hesitate to scream if something comes after you.”

Dipper glanced at the blond incredulously, then rounded on Mabel. “You can’t go exploring by yourself,” he told her forcefully. “You’re going to get yourself hurt.”

“No I won’t,” she scoffed, glaring back at him. “I have years of self-defense on me, not to mention that the journals have a few spells in them. Worst case scenario, I can probably try to use of those.”

“She’ll be fine, Dipper,” William reassured. “I have friends in here that will know to keep an eye out for her.”

Dipper hesitated for a long moment before nodding. He had an idea that could guarantee Mabel’s safety while she was on her own...for a price.

Mabel let out an excited cheer and gave Dipper a quick hug, then turned on her heel and darted into the forest. He watched her go, his muscles tensing with every step farther his twin took.

“She’ll be okay,” William reiterated quietly, beckoning for Dipper to follow as he stepped into the forest.

“I know,” Dipper replied evenly, trailing a couple of feet behind the blond. _Bill?_

 _Yes, Pine Tree?_ Bill’s tone was laced with amusement, and Dipper could tell that the demon already knew what he wanted.

_Can you follow Mabel? Make sure that nothing hurts her?_

Cipher laughed, sending a small shiver down his spine. _That one’s going to cost you, Piney._

Dipper sighed aloud in annoyance. _I already knew that much...how do you feel about dinner tonight? Granted, you don’t pour soda in my eyes like the last time?_

 _That’s tempting,_ Bill hummed. _You caved sooner than I thought you would. You’re really going to risk facing the wrath of your superiors for the safety of your sister?_

 _ **Ensured** safety,_ Dipper corrected. _Don’t patronize me, Cipher._

 _You want your sister’s ensured safety in exchange for me possessing you at dinner,_ Bill repeated boredly. _I truly don’t hate to tell you this Pine Tree...I don’t think the payment is going to be enough._

 _You can’t have my soul,_ Dipper said immediately. _Or the souls of anybody close to me. No friends or family. You can’t have any organs or teeth._

 _You’re no fun,_ Bill replied lowly. _What if, say, your sister had a terrible accident while she was looking for a unicorn?_

 _You wouldn’t,_ Dipper thought, though his confidence wavered. What if Cipher _did_ hurt Mabel though? A semi-familiar burning sensation crept along his neck almost as soon as he challenged the demon, causing tears to spring to his eyes. He gritted his teeth and pressed a hand to his neck, comforted only by the knowledge that this was just a warning.

 _Try me, Pine Tree,_ Bill threatened. _Being nice to you was fun and all, but I’m not afraid to force you into doing what I want. I’ll pose my final deal to you now: I’ll keep your dear sister safe whenever she goes wandering off by herself, and in return...not only will I get to half-possess you at dinner tomorrow evening, but I will also get to have full possession of your body for a full day of my choosing._

Dipper stopped in his tracks. A full day? Would he actually be torn out of his body like the last time Bill completely possessed him, or would he be trapped in his mind? What would Cipher do to his body?

“Dipper?” William’s quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see the blond staring at him curiously. “Everything okay in there? I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes.”

“I’m fine,” he replied hastily, shaking his head slightly. “Uh....got lost in thought for a few minutes there.”

“I’ll say!” William chirped, grinning brightly. “You kept stumbling and running into branches without even reacting. I’ll be surprised if there are any creatures left to find at this point!”

“Was I?” Dipper asked, surprise crossing over his expression. He swiped a hand over his forehead and when he pulled it back, there was blood on it.

“You were,” the blond reiterated, reaching over and pulling a small twig out of Dipper’s hair. “Have an interesting conversation with the devil?”

 _Almost like he knows,_ Dipper noted, nodding his head. “Kind of,” he answered.

One of William’s eyebrows quirked in what Dipper was sure was interest, but the elder teen didn’t question it further. “We should keep going,” he said slowly. “Maybe you’ll pay just a bit more attention now, yeah?”

Dipper nodded again, and they continued their trek throughout the forest. It was oddly quiet for the time of the day, the distant sounds of Mabel’s giggling being one of the only things he could hear.

 _I said, do we have a deal, Pine Tree?_ Cipher asked again, sounding impatient. _These offers do eventually expire, you know._

Dipper bit his lip. It would be risky, to allow the demon to possess him for a full day without any way to regain control of his body, but Mabel _was_ off on her own. Worst case scenario, how much damage could Bill do to his body before Mabel found out that it wasn’t really him?

 _...Deal,_ he finally agreed hollowly, still wondering if he was going to regret it.

 _Wonderful,_ Bill purred contently. _Duck, Pine Tree._

He did so, more out of the instinct that had developed to listen to Bill than from him paying attention to his surroundings. When he looked back over his shoulder, a decently sized tree branch was waving at him merrily in the wind.

 _Thanks,_ he grumbled to Bill grudgingly. He looked around and noticed that they were getting closer to the area where the gnomes resided – time to warn Will.

“Uh, hey,” he started awkwardly, kicking a small rock. “We might want to avoid this area dude...the gnomes are pretty territorial. They’re not afraid to attack a couple of humans.”

Will glanced over at him and grinned. “I know. It’s fun to piss them off, and there’s a demon in our midst. They aren’t going to dare mess with us.”

“You seem sure of yourself,” Dipper commented. “How do the gnomes know that Bill’s around? If he’s in my mind and all that?”

“They’re creatures of the supernatural,” the blond explained. “Therefore, they can sense when one another are near. Even if Cipher technically can’t be completely seen by them, they can still feel his influence...his presence, if you will.”

Dipper nodded in reply. “That kind of makes sense,” he commented. “Aside from moving into the shack at the beginning of the year, how long have you been studying the supernatural? You know tons more than I do.”

William quirked an eyebrow, grinning. “Jealous?” he teased. “Green’s not the best color on you, Dippingsauce.”

“I’m not!” The brunet defended quickly. “I’m actually more impressed than anything...you see, I’ve been trying to learn everything about Gravity Falls since I was twelve. It’s been six summers, and I still know less than you. Embarrassing, actually,” he finished under his breath.

“Don’t feel so bad,” the blond murmured, gently shoving Dipper’s shoulder. “I’ve actually been studying the paranormal for most of my life, so it only makes sense that I know more than you do. Plus, I used to spend most of my free time studying the journals and going through the woods before you and your sister got here.”

Dipper nodded again, looking around them cautiously. “The gnomes aren’t out,” he realized. “Normally they’d be swarming us right now....you were right. They really can sense that Bill is around.”

 _Of course they can, you imbecile,_ Bill snarked. Dipper chose to ignore it.

“Eventually, you’ll learn how to sense when something supernatural is around too,” William started. “The longer you hang around Gravity Falls, the more potential you have to learn. These woods are willing to teach whomever steps into them. That’s what makes this whole situation so odd.”

“What do you think has been causing these wildfires lately?” Dipper asked him curiously, assuming that that was what was on the blonde’s mind.

“If we’re lucky, it’s just an angry dragon that’s woken up from hibernation late to discover that some other dragon decided to move into its territory. Like your great uncle pointed out yesterday, phoenixes don’t just randomly start wildfires. I should have been alerted if somebody strange went into the woods...” William paused at the confused expression on Dipper’s face. “When I bought these woods, I made a bond with it. Mental, and spiritual. I know everything that does and has gone on in here. That’s why this is all so weird.”

“That’s interesting,” Dipper mused. “You’ll have to tell me more sometime. So, you’re staying at the shack....why not just go home? Don’t you have any family?”

There was a long pause before William responded. “Not anymore,” he said quietly. “You struggle with paying attention to little details, Dipper. I said last night that I bought the woods with my family’s inheritance. That clearly states that they’re all dead.”

Dipper looked down at the ground, too ashamed to meet the blonde’s eyes. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I should have guessed, I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine,” Will interrupted. “It was years ago, Dipper. I’ve moved past it now...it just still gets me every once in a rare blue. Forget about it, okay?”

“Sorry,” Dipper mumbled again.

“Lighten up, kid. Things could be worse, you know. The sun is shining, we’re all here and everything is well. Here’s a free bit of wisdom for you: sometimes, the only thing anyone can do is look to the future with hope in their eyes and passion in their hearts. Clearly, you’ve got both if you’re still here.”

They continued on their journey for a while longer, Dipper occasionally pulling out the journal from his bag and flipping through the pages. The forest was completely silent, almost like Bill’s presence was enough to send any sane creature back to their dens for the day. When he thought about it, it made sense. Eventually, they came to a small clearing beside a river. William stopped walking, and Dipper followed suit.

“How deep are we?” he found himself asking as the blond walked over to a rock and sat down.

“Deep enough for this to seriously start worrying me,” William replied, concern evident in his tone. “Cipher might have a powerful influence over the rest of the supernatural, being like a god over them and all, but it’s not like this. They should be out still...there’s a deeper level of fear in all of this.”

“Cipher’s a god?” Dipper asked curiously.

“More like a demi-god,” the elder teen replied dismissively. “This isn’t right though. Something is freaking out the supernatural creatures of this forest, and it bothers me that I don’t know what it is.”

 _Demi-god...._ Dipper contemplated. _I once defeated a demi-god within my great uncle’s mind._

 _You didn’t “defeat” me, kid. How many times will I have to tell you that?_ Bill fired back almost immediately.

 _Until I’m convinced,_ Dipper quipped, grinning. “Are you sure the forest isn’t telling you because it’s mad or something?” he asked William.

The blond glanced at him quickly, not amused. “The forest doesn’t _get_ angry with me, kid,” he seethed. “Whatever is doing this has some kind of a magical shield so that it can’t be detected. It’s pissing me off.”

“Maybe it’s another demon?” Dipper questioned curiously, thinking about how Bill couldn’t be sensed in the normal realm most of the time.

“Doubtful,” William dismissed easily with the flick of a hand. “Bill would have said something, or taken care of it already. Omnipotent, remember?”

“Or that,” Dipper muttered, glancing around.

He paused for a moment, taking in the situation. The blond-haired teen was ashen faced and at a second glance, Dipper could see that William’s hands were shaking slightly. He was tempted to ask the blond if he was okay, but hesitated before the question could escape. If William wanted to rant, he would.

And finally after what seemed like forever, they stumbled across the area that smelled of smoke and was deathly quiet, more so than the rest of the forest had been. Leaves crunched under Dipper’s and William’s feet as they walked in silence and an ominous cloud seemed to hang over the area. For a moment, Dipper considered turning back.

Only for a moment though.

“This is the area,” William said quietly, confirming what Dipper’s gut was telling him. “There’s a magical pulse here that’s been concealing the presence of the intruders.”

“You think it really was intruders?” Dipper asked curiously.

The blond nodded. “I _know_ it was. You don’t feel the threat in the air? The forest has been tainted."

They made it to where the ground sloped down and finally saw where the source of the fire had been. The ground of the small clearing was completely scorched, save for a small pile of white objects in the center. The trees that circled around the clearing each had a red eye painted onto the bark. The sight of the truth presented to Dipper made a chill creep down his spine.

“Holy shit...” he breathed, his eyes widening slightly. “Is this...?”

William didn’t answer right away, and instead stepped forward to examine the damage. He kneeled down beside the small white pile, and something inside of Dipper urged him to run away and not turn back.

“These are bones,” the blond finally muttered, his tone low and dangerous. “Come here, Dipper.”

He did as he was told, walking over cautiously. He noticed a large red patch underneath the pile of what he hoped were animal bones. “Blood?” he asked slowly, feeling nauseous at the thought. “This was a sacrifice?”

Will nodded, looking up. “I don’t know what they sacrificed yet, or what their purpose was.” He gestured to the trees around them. “Based on the eyes drawn in blood....it was a summoning. I don’t know if it was successful.”

“Who were they summoning though?” Dipper mused, thinking deeply. “Was it Bill?”

The elder teen shook his head, “Bill’s summoning ritual normally doesn’t – if ever – require sacrifices of any kind. Normally just a vendetta and a photo will work. Whoever did this was trying to summon something bigger than the likes of Bill Cipher...my guess is that they’re plotting something big, something that’s outside of his reach.” He frowned slightly, “honestly, it’s kind of offensive.”

Dipper didn’t bother to try asking about the blonde’s strange opinion and decided instead to ask the demon in his head about it. Even though William was an expert on demons, Bill would likely know more about the situation. _What do you think?_ he asked curiously, averting his gaze from the pile of bones. _Human or animal? And what’s the purpose?_

 _Not now kid,_ Bill replied, sounding more vexed than Dipper had ever heard him. _I’m in the middle of something. We’ll talk later._

 _What’s going on?_ Dipper asked, internally panicking. If Cipher was watching over Mabel like he agreed to....that could only mean that something bad was happening. Would Bill be able to handle the situation on his own without a chance of getting out of the mindscape?

 _Bill?_ he asked again, his anxiety growing with each passing second that the demon didn’t answer. _W-what’s going on? Is Mabel okay?_

 _Nothing is going on that you need concern yourself with,_ Bill finally replied, and Dipper exhaled a sigh of relief. That meant Mabel was okay....right?

 _It means that you’re getting on my nerves, Pine Tree,_ Bill informed. _I might have an open access to your mind at all times, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve been granted access to mine. Back off, or you’ll regret it._

 _But-_ he tried protesting, but the demon cut him off.

_Kid, I mean it. Stop pestering me, or your sister gets it._

Dipper wanted to lash out against Bill, wanted to scream how it wasn’t fair that he wasn’t allowed to know what was going on. And it _wasn’t_ fair. Mabel was _his_ sister, so he had a right to demand to know if she was in trouble. And if Bill wasn’t going to tell him, he’d have to go get her himself.

“Will, we need to find Mabel,” he blurted out without thinking. He immediately berated himself for speaking, knowing that the elder teen was in a bad mood because of the forest and that he needed to think through the anger.

Luckily for him, William seemed to care about Mabel’s safety just as much as he did. “What’s wrong?” Will asked, his previously irritated expression changing to a mildly alarmed one.

Dipper shook his head. “I don’t know...she’s in trouble though.”

“Alright,” William agreed. “The investigation can wait for a day or two. Now that we know where the fire was and a bit of what’s happening, the rest should be easier to figure out.”

They set off back in the direction that they came from at a brisk pace, Dipper stumbling every few steps and cursing his clumsiness. As they traveled through the forest, the brunet couldn’t help but think about the fact that he didn’t even know _where_ Mabel was at, much less what kind of trouble she could’ve gotten into! What if she had gotten attacked by some creature and died? His parents were going to kill him!

“Breathe, Dipper,” William reminded him. “I’m sure that whatever it is, it’s nothing too major.”

He stopped in his tracks and leaned against a tree, trying and failing to calm his rapid breathing. “S-she could be d-dead,” he stuttered, burying his face in his hands. “This is all m-my f-fault.”

“It is not,” William’s voice was comforting and closer than it had been a moment earlier. A gentle pressure on his arm a moment later let him know that the blond was in front of him.

Dipper looked up to find that Will’s expression was calm, the encouraging gleam in his eye unwavering. “Breathe in,” the elder teen instructed, then inhaled slowly himself.

He let out one final shaky exhale, then followed William’s example and breathed in slowly.

“And out,” William whispered, exhaling. He did the same and they repeated the process a few more times until Dipper found that his heart rate had slowed down considerably.

William moved both hands to Dipper’s shoulders. “We can continue without you freaking out again, right?” he asked. Dipper nodded in response, and the blond nodded back slowly. “Good,” he murmured gently. “You had me worried for a minute there.”

“You need to speak your mind more often,” the elder teen declared a short while later as they walked. “If you did, you’d panic less when you’re worried.”

 _So should you,_ he wanted to retort, but held it back. William was looking out for his well-being, so it wouldn’t be right for Dipper to snap at him.

“I’m just worried that something bad might have happened is all,” he mumbled. “Besides, I’m not really one to go around saying what I think.”

William chuckled. “Really? Your actions when we went to that club a few weeks ago screamed otherwise.”

Dipper blushed. He still remembered next to nothing of what had transpired that night, and there was no telling what secrets he might have spilled.

“Either way,” William continued, glancing at the flustered brunet. “You can trust me, Dipper. I’m good at not spilling confidential information.”

“Well….” Dipper hesitated. “I...made a deal with Bill.”

“Another one?” the blond asked, his tone laced with humor. “You know, I thought your great uncle and grandfather told you to stop that. Dealing with the devil is pretty dangerous.”

“It was to keep Mabel safe,” Dipper explained. “I worry about her enough without her going off into these woods on her own, so I asked Bill to keep an eye on her.”

“Sounds interesting. What did he get in return?” William questioned.

Dipper shifted uneasily. “Just a couple of things, nothing really too much.” He didn’t want anyone besides Mabel to know about the co-inhabiting that he had been doing with Bill lately. If William took it wrong, there was every chance that he could reveal it to Stanley and Grunkle Stan before he got the chance to explain it to them himself.

“Dipper! Hey, Dipper! Will! I’m up here!” Mabel’s voice rang out from somewhere up ahead. He looked around to try to locate the source of her voice, his expression growing puzzled when he didn’t see her. There was the sound of a giggle, then her voice rang out again. “I’m in a tree, you dork!”

He turned his gaze upward and sure enough his sister was sitting in a tree a few dozen feet away from them, waving erratically. It took him a second to freak out.

“Mabel!” he screeched. “You’re in a tree! How did you get up there?”

She laughed again, and William chuckled lightly. “Wendy taught me!” she called back teasingly. “Maybe if you’d stopped shoving your nose into books a few years ago, you could’ve learned to be a badass, too!”

Dipper scowled, “I like reading,” he mumbled, kicking a stray pebble. “You need to get down!” he yelled up at her, concerned. “You could fall and hurt yourself.” Dipper could see her eye roll from where he and William had stopped walking.

“She’ll be fine,” William reassured under his breath.

Mabel carefully climbed down about halfway, then quickly shimmied down the rest of the way in the blink of an eye. “Ta-da!” she exclaimed, holding her arms out in victory. “Mabel Pines, certified badass at your service!”

“You’re okay,” Dipper breathed, running forward and hugging her tightly. She started for a moment, then hugged him back.

“Course I am, Bro Bro. You really think a tree’s going to get the best of me?”

He shook his head, digging his nails slightly into the back of her shirt to still his trembling hands. “You were in danger, weren’t you? I-I thought you were.”

She pulled away, confusion and concern evident in her expression. “What are you going on about? I’m fine, Dipper...no danger at all. I mean, I found a small colony of mermaids that were passing through, but they weren’t going to hurt me.”

Dipper sighed. “I thought....I thought something was wrong.”

Mabel smiled, “no need to worry, Bro Bro. All is well.”

If that was true, though, why was she avoiding looking into his eyes?

 


	8. Chapter 8

To say that Dipper was anxious would have been a small joke to laugh at in a completely sarcastic way. To imply that he was nervous would have been a massive understatement, and to suggest that he was absolutely terrified out of his fucking mind would have been more than correct.

“Come on kid, let’s get this show on the road!” Bipper exclaimed, straightening the bow tie currently resting around Dipper’s neck. “I’m so ready to finally get to eat human food like a normal person again!”

“You have to go back before I actually go downstairs,” Dipper reminded him, reaching a hand up and tugging at the tie. “And why the fuck did you dress me up so fancily for a dumb normal dinner with my family? They’re going to look at me like I’m a freak!”

“Your Will-boy is going to like it,” Bipper purred, slapping Dipper’s other hand away from the bowtie. “And quit messing with that! It is not a crime to dress nicely, and your dumb meatsack relatives will just have to get over it.”

“They’ll catch on right away,” Dipper argued, ignoring the comment about William liking him in a suit. Mostly ignoring it, anyway. “And then Stanley will be pressing a silver cross against my forehead and trying to exorcise me. Or...you from me, or whatever.”

“It’ll be fine,” Bipper soothed, smoothing down the dress jacket he’d pulled out for Dipper. In all honesty, he hadn’t had a clue that he even owned a normal suit.

“Yeah,” Mabel’s voice chimed in gleefully. Dipper shifted in front of the full-body mirror to see her standing in the doorway, smirking. “Listen to the demon Dip-Dop. You know, he cleans you up pretty nicely.” She giggled. “We should do this more often.”

“Technically, you weren’t supposed to know,” Dipper mumbled, ruffling his hair slightly from the tidier version Bipper had gelled it into.

“You don’t get any privacy when sharing a room,” Mabel snarked back, grinning. “So really, it’s not my fault you can’t keep your secrets a secret.”

“Lesson taken,” Dipper sighed. “Note to self – ask Grunkle Stan for my own bedroom ASAP.”

“Dipper!” A look of hurt briefly crossed over Mabel’s expression before she realized that he was kidding and grinned. “If it’ll keep you quiet at night,” she teased.

Dipper’s eyes widened slightly. What was _that_ supposed to mean? He shook the thought away and focused on the problem at hand. “How are we supposed to explain me wearing a suit?” he asked worriedly.

“For the last time, kid, you should just let me deal with it,” Bipper argued, slapping Dipper’s right hand again and smoothing down his hair. “They’ll never see it coming!”

“That’s the problem,” Mabel muttered. “I think I have a solution....Bill, go back into Dipper’s mind and stay there until he tells them all what’s really going on. If they start pestering him about the suit, I can make something up.”

“Fine,” Bipper agreed sulkily, retreating back into the recesses of Dipper’s mind. _You better not mess with your hair or anything anymore,_ he warned the brunet. _It took me awhile to get you all nice and fixed up, and I won’t appreciate you going out of your way to undermine me._

“Whatever,” Dipper grumbled under his breath out of habit. He took one last long look at himself through the mirror, grudgingly admitting to himself that he _did_ look pretty good. He turned to face Mabel. “Let’s go,” he murmured. “Before they start to get suspicious.”

They walked downstairs together, Dipper nervously digging his nails into the palm of his hand. How was the rest of his family going to react? Stanley....he knew Bill’s game, so he’d suspect right away. Stanford had always been one to act more with his fists than with his brains. All in all, it didn’t look to be a good situation for him at all.

The dining room was empty when the twins entered. Dipper cast a glance at Mabel curiously, wondering if she’d planned it to be this way. Hopefully, he would be able to stay in his seat until the others came in, so he wouldn’t have to say anything until he was ready to introduce Bipper formally to the others.

_Of course Shooting Star planned it this way!_ Bill boasted. _I, of course, planted the idea into her mind while she was sleeping last night, since you dumb meatsacks are too stupid to think of these things yourselves._

Dipper sighed. _Don’t be rude to Mabel,_ he chastised. _Or anyone else._

Even though the demon was in his mind, Dipper could almost see his amusement. _You wanna make a deal to force me, kid?_ Cipher challenged in an almost playful tone.

_No thanks,_ the brunet replied dryly. _Making deals with you is what led to the situation we’re in right now. You’ll be lucky if neither of the Stans kill me._

_You mean_ you’ll _be lucky,_ Bill emphasized. _Your death wouldn’t have an impact on me._

Dipper looked up at the sound of two sets of heavier footsteps echoing in the kitchen to find that Mabel had disappeared - most likely to retrieve food for herself. With her knowledge of the possession that was to take place that night, maybe he'd get lucky enough for her to love him enough to get him some food too so he wouldn't have to move from his spot and reveal the full suit.

_You're such a coward,_ Bill hummed contently. _Always wanting to avoid confrontation and stuff...you're not completely the same Pine Tree I used to know. It's a shame, really. What happened to make you like this?_

He looked back down at the table. _I don't really like to talk about it,_ he finally replied.

Mabel passed by him at that moment and set a plate down, then ruffled his hair gently as she took the seat next to him. "You've got this," she whispered encouragingly. "Just remember Dip-Dop, they love you. They won't hurt you for allowing a demon to partially possess you."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he muttered back quietly, his gaze going to the door as William entered the room.

"You're looking sharp tonight!" the blond exclaimed cheerfully, sitting on the other side of Dipper.

He studied his best friend carefully. "And you're looking well-rested," he observed, smiling. The heavy bags that had adorned the teen's face the previous night had vanished, and his eye glinted with what Dipper knew had to be mischief.

William nodded. "So, what's with the fancy getup?" he asked curiously, his gaze briefly skirting up and down Dipper's body. "Not that it's such a bad thing, it’s just...I didn't think there was an occasion to commemorate?"

The brunet flushed at the unexpected compliment, mentally cursing the fact that Bill had been right. "You uh....remember what I told you yesterday?" he mumbled, avoiding looking directly at the teen.

William's grin widened. "Of course!" he chirped. "How could I forget?"

"It has a lot to do with that," Dipper finished under his breath. "I'll explain it soon."

When he was sure that his face had changed back to normal, he looked up and found that both of the Stans had finally sat down at the table and were staring at him, suspicion drawn across both of their expressions. Dipper guessed that they had gotten a glance of his appearance and had stayed in the kitchen a few minutes extra to discuss it.

He sighed. Knowing his luck, his assumption was probably correct and he'd have to start getting into the introduction before he was ready. Really though, if he had his way, he would never be ready.

Stanley cleared his throat. "You look really nice tonight Dipper," he observed. "Are you going out after dinner?"

_This buys me a bit of time,_ Dipper thought, inwardly sighing.

_What if I don't want you to have time?_ Bill snarked back, _kid, you're pushing your luck here._

Dipper sighed aloud, knowing that Bill would use his "tattoo" if he didn't start speaking soon. "I'm not," he admitted quietly. "Going out, that is. I..." he gulped. "I have something that I need to tell you guys."

_Go ooonnnn,_ Bill coaxed. _Seal your fate, Piney._

He tried not to let the comment disturb him, and plastered his gaze to the table. If they disapproved, he wouldn’t be able to see it. "Bill has been in my head for three weeks now," he whispered.

_Speak up. They can't hear you because their dumb organs are too primitive to work better than an animal's,_ Bill commented flippantly.

"He's been in my mind for three weeks now." Dipper repeated louder, screwing his eyes shut and clenching his fists.

"We know this Dipper," Grunkle Stan drawled. There was a shushing sound from Mabel, and a mumbled apology a moment later.

"It's gotten better to deal with," Dipper continued. He hoped that Bill wouldn't catch on to the fact that he was stalling in order to make the possession time shorter. "Kind of. Uhm....we...talk. A lot, which you guys have noticed. And also don't like."

_Kid, I know what you're doing. It's not going to work,_ Bill said flatly.

There was a small poke on his shoulder, and he opened his eyes to glance at Mabel. His twin was giving him a discreet thumbs up. _You've got this,_ she mouthed to him in a repeat of her earlier words.

Dipper nodded once, looking up to meet Stanley's inquisitive gaze, opting to ignore Grunkle Stan for the moment. It would be easier to focus on one of the twins at a time, wouldn't it? "I don't trust him, but we've made a few deals," he finally stated.

Stanley tensed, but his tone was even and calm. "I figured you'd do as much," he commented quietly. "Cipher is a silvertongue, Dipper. He uses charm and words to get what he wants."

"I _know,_ " Dipper bit out. "You've only been preaching this to me since the day we met, even more so since he started inhabiting my mind. At any rate, this isn't something that's going to end the world, okay? Now could you please just listen and let me explain?"

_Now?_ Bill asked hopefully, his tone eager. _Please tell me I can enter now, Piney. This is the perfect entrance!_

Dipper took a deep breath. Mabel was right – he could do this. His great uncle and grandfather had supported him through his adolescence, and they accepted him for who he was.

“I-I want you guys to meet someone.” Dipper stumbled over the words at first, gaining courage from Mabel’s reassuring expression. “Just...don’t freak out, okay? Please?”

“Dipper.” Grunkle Stan’s voice held a slight warning to it, making the brunet tense.

“Don’t freak out,” Dipper repeated, worry beginning to overshadow his confidence. _Go ahead Bill,_ he told the demon anxiously. _Just don’t get me killed, okay?_

_No promises,_ Bill replied as his presence came forward to manifest beside Dipper’s. _But I’ll do my best, kid._

Dipper closed his eyes so the others wouldn’t be able to see the change in his eye until he was ready. “You guys have...met him before, technically, but things aren’t the same. It’ll be okay.” He opened his eyes slowly, terrified that the revelation would make the Stans shun him. He flinched at Stanley’s low gasp.

“Dipper...why would you let him possess you?” his grandfather questioned, concern in his tone. “If you’re even still in there, anyway?”

Dipper sighed with relief. This was off to an okay start....Stanley wasn’t attempting to kill him. “I’m still in here,” he answered, lifting a hand so they could see that he was controlling it. “This is the really cool part. Bill is only halfway possessing me, so I can regain control of my body at any point in time. We’ve been doing this for a few weeks now.”

There was a strangled choking sound from Grunkle Stan, then a barely concealed snicker from William followed. Perhaps he’d thought the best of the situation too soon.

“You’ve been what?!” Stan exclaimed once he regained his composure. “Dipper, you’ve gotta be joking!”

“He’s not!” Bipper exclaimed, giving Stan a quick wink. “I gotta say Fez, your great nephew’s body is way more comfortable than I last remember!”

“Son of a-!” Stan started, but cut himself off, gritting his teeth.

Bill curled Dipper’s lips into a grin, while the brunet internally panicked. This was just supposed to be dinner, not Bill attempting to provoke everyone into a fight!

“He’s kidding!” Dipper blurted out in an attempt to regain control of the situation. “A-and it’s not like Bill hurts me or anything when we do this.”

Bipper picked up Dipper’s fork, studying it intently. “I wonder...” he hummed. “Do you think it’d still feel good, Piney?”

“Don’t you dare!” Mabel snatched the fork from his hand, her eyes narrowed. While she might have been on board with Bill possessing him, it was clear that she wasn’t going to allow Dipper to be hurt. For that, he was grateful.

The brunet sighed, picking up his spoon and eating a bite of mac and cheese. _Cool it Cipher,_ he warned. _At this rate, you really will get me killed._ “I promise he’s not usually like this,” Dipper explained, exasperated.

“Yeah, guys! Instead of being yellow and annoying he’s now fleshy and annoying!” William’s voice sounded choked with unshed laughter and his eyes shone.

Dipper cocked an eyebrow, and William sobered up slightly. “Sorry,” the elder teen muttered, casting his gaze downward. “I thought it might lighten things up a bit.”

“I don’t want the demon inside of you anymore Dipper.” Stanley’s declaration made the brunet look over in confusion. His grandfather had gotten up and was rifling through a drawer in a cabinet.

“We can’t change it,” Dipper pointed out, grateful that Bill wasn’t saying anything. He flinched when the bond mark on his neck flared from Bill’s anger.

“I know a few ways to exorcise a demon,” Stanley muttered. “Cipher being inside of you at all times is bad enough, but I absolutely draw the line at you willingly allowing him to possess you.”

“You will do no such thing!” Bipper hissed, pushing his chair back and standing. He slapped his palms on the table, the action making the dishes rattle. “I belong in Pine Tree’s body until _I_ say so, Six Fingers!”

Dipper tried to open his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. His blood chilled as he realized that Cipher had broken their deal and taken full control of his body, and he was forced to watch as Stanley pulled out a knife. _This wasn’t the deal!_ he yelled at Bill the second he realized what was going to happen if he didn’t say something.

_Can it, Pine Tree,_ Bill growled, and the brunet recoiled timidly. _Six Fingers is attempting to meddle in our affairs again, and he_ knows _the price of doing so._

Despite the fact that he no longer had any control of his mouth or limbs, he certainly felt the heat when Bipper snapped his fingers and a bright orange flame appeared at his fingertips. Before Bipper could make a move to hurt Stanley however, Mabel was suddenly in his way, a murderous look in her eyes.

“Don’t. You. Dare!” Mabel hissed, grabbing one of his wrists.

“Let me go Star!” Bipper snarled, raising a flaming hand. “I actually don’t want to hurt you for once, so get out of my way!” He yanked Dipper’s wrist out of her grasp and took a step back in what Dipper guessed was an evasive maneuver.

“Step away from him,” William cautioned from behind Bipper. “Stanley, put the knife away. Magic is unstable in such inexperienced hands, and it can quickly go awry.”

Mabel slowly backed away from him, anger rolling off of her in waves. Bipper raised his hands in warning and slowly continued past her, his gaze flickering around rapidly.

“You’re playing with fire Stanley,” Bipper hissed, the words low and guttural as he focused his attention on Dipper’s grandfather. “And you’re about to get burned!”

Grunkle Stan barked out a short laugh then, and Bipper swiveled around to focus his glare on the elder of the two twins. “Ha!” Stanford taunted, raising a brass-knuckled fist. “You might have two eyes now creep, but you can’t see us both at once!”

Bill let out a loose snarl and shot a ball of fire at Grunkle Stan. Stanford deflected it easily with the sweep of a hand, and Bipper stepped back to avoid the rebound. “I see you’ve retained your basic shield magic,” he noted lowly, an eye twitching in irritation. “How bothersome.”

“Bill,” Mabel started, surprisingly hesitant . He turned to look at her, eyes narrowing. “Can you leave Dipper’s body please? Somebody’s going to get hurt if you stay in there much longer, and I don’t want it to be Dipper.”

Bipper grinned manically. “The diplomacy tactic doesn’t suit you Star! I’ll take you up on your offer...that is, if you’re prepared to make a deal.”

Mabel frowned and the light in her eyes died. “I will not make any deals with you, Bill. You’re in my brother’s body, which is the only reason I’m not attacking you right now.”

“You’re out of luck then, Star,” Bipper taunted.

_You better not hurt her,_ Dipper thought angrily to the demon. _If you do..._

_I make no promises kid._

Something pierced the back of Dipper’s neck and Bipper let out a high pitched cry at the impact. He reached back and felt for the source of pain, pulling it out when he located.

“A tranquilizer?” the demon questioned dumbly, staring at the dart. “You honestly think it’s any match for my magic?”

“I dare you to try,” Stanley said softly from behind him. “Your powers are draining, too. Mabel and Stanford were the distraction I needed to enchant the dart.”

Bipper’s eyes flashed red, and the anger Dipper felt radiating off of the demon made him shrink back further into his mind. _Bill, maybe you should-_

Bipper snarled and in a single moment, he had Stanley pinned against the wall, his hands around the elder’s neck. “I should kill you for this, Stanley Pines!” he spat, tightening his hold.

“You don’t have the guts to do it, Cipher,” Stanley rasped, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Otherwise you would have done it a long time ago.”

“Shut up!” Bipper snapped, the flames on his hands dying down slightly. He was beginning to lose control.

Despite the pain, Stanley smiled.

Dipper could feel the heavy haze of sleep beginning to swirl around in his mind, and he blamed it for being the reason that he didn’t immediately notice the switch. He only knew the red-hot anger that had become his own, the fact that his hands tightened further around his grandfather’s neck.

“Di-Dipper,” Stanley gasped, his eyes widening slightly. His hands came up to lock around Dipper’s wrists, and the brunet’s eyes narrowed. “P-please....l-let g-go.”

Dipper realized his mistake then and quickly backed away, his eyes widening in horror. “I-I-” he stuttered, his face growing red. His eyelids were beginning to feel _so_ heavy, but he didn’t want to pass out and leave everything the way it was. “Your neck,” he gasped, his back hitting the table. Stanley’s neck was fine for the most part, finger shaped scorch marks burning a bright red.

Stanley’s lips moved, but the words were lost to Dipper as the sleep began to overtake him. Suddenly the voices were sounding all around him, blurring together until William’s loud voice broke through the din.

“It’s not his-”

Dipper’s vision finally faded, leaving him to contemplate what it was that William had been about to say.

* * *

Bill Cipher was nearby. Dipper’s normally green meadow of a mindscape had faded into the telltale monochrome world of Bill’s, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t in the mood to face the demon.

Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground, staring down at his hands. _I’m a monster,_ he thought to himself. _I...I almost killed Stanley. Bill wasn’t in control at that point, I was. I almost killed him._

“Kid, I think you’ve already established that,” Bill’s high pitched monotone sounded from above. “Are you done moping around?”

“Go away Cipher,” Dipper muttered quietly.

“Not going to happen, Pine Tree!” Bill replied cheerfully. “We have a lot to talk about!”

An eye twitched in irritation and something inside of Dipper snapped as he stood to face the demon. “Why did you do it?!” he asked angrily. “Why couldn’t you have just possessed me peacefully and left well enough alone?”

“I had to do it,” Bill stated simply, floating down until he was face to face with the teen.

“They’re my family,” Dipper groused, running a hand through his messed up hair. “If you’re trying to tear us all apart, congratulations. I think you’ve succeeded.”

“I did what I had to, Pine Tree,” Bill finally told him simply. “They might be your family, and they might be okay with your sexual preferences, but they would not understand this.”

_“This-”_ Dipper emphasized, gesturing to the air around them, “is _nothing._ They would understand if I told them why I made the deal with you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Bill’s voice softened considerably, and it chilled Dipper’s blood. He had heard this same tone before, he _knew_ he did. Where, though?

“You and I are destined for many things, Pine Tree,” Bill continued, ignoring the brunet’s shock. “We have an intricate relationship, and your family will never understand it, no matter what you say.”

Dipper took a step back from the demon to collect his thoughts. “Mabel would,” he whispered. “Mabel always understands.”

Bill laughed. “You truly are a riot, Pine Tree. Now, we need to move onto something way more important than your petty little family troubles. Obviously, something has been messing with my forest and there’s no telling what it is.”

“Where is this leading?” Dipper asked curiously, despite his anger toward the demon.

“...You owe me a day of possession, kid. I think I’ll need to take it soon.”

“Soon?!” Dipper spluttered angrily, his face growing red. “You honestly expect me to let you take my body on a joyride for a full day after this?! You couldn’t even last a whole dinner possessing me, how the fuck do you think you’re gonna be able to last a whole day without getting me killed?!”

“I already told you, I had to do that.” Bill said testily, his form quickly flashing red in his anger. “Just like I _have_ to possess you fully for a day.”

“You don’t _have_ to,” Dipper sneered, glaring at the golden triangle. “You just want to, so you can ruin my life.”

“You’re wrong,” Bill snarled, flying forward until he was about an inch from Dipper’s face. Lightning cracked through the air, making the brunet jump in alarm. “I’m actually trying to save your life, you ungrateful meatsack!”

This caught Dipper off-guard, and he paused to consider the demon's words. Was he telling the truth?

“Of course I am.” Bill’s bright red color faded into a rosy hue, his words still strained. “There’s been a low-level demon sniffing around this place - _my_ property - and I need to take it out. I can’t do so without a vessel.”

“So you have to use _my_ body?” Dipper grumbled. “What does the demon want?”

Bill laughed loudly. “Here’s the kicker, Pine Tree - they want you!”

Dipper blinked rapidly, trying and failing to process the information. “M-me?” he asked, feeling like an idiot. “W….what do they want me for? Why is it always me?”

“Both of the Stans are too old to work for their plans, too set on their destined paths. You, on the other hand, are in your prime. You’re capable of much more than you think, Dipper Pines. Much more. Now, it's time for you to wake up. Your little friend is needing to talk to you. About this conversation- don't tell anyone, Pine Tree. You'll pay dearly if you do.” Dipper opened his mouth to ask Bill a question, but was tossed out of the mindscape before he could speak a word.

He awoke with a jolt, mind still hazy from sleep. While he had been knocked out, someone had taken to care to bring him up to his bed and tuck him in. He guessed it was Mabel.

“You’re awake,” a voice said calmly from his side. Dipper looked up to find that William had pulled a chair up beside his bed and sat down. “Way sooner than expected, too. Welcome back.”

Dipper peered closely at his friend, surprised to find that a deep purple-black color blossomed around his eye. “Did...did someone punch you?” he finally asked curiously, sitting up.

William’s expression fleetingly showed surprise before it vanished as his fingers trailed over the discoloration. “I was,” he replied evenly. “Your great uncle has a bit of a problem with his temper.”

Dipper’s heart sank. “What...what happened after I passed out?”

William shrugged. “Honestly, not much. Your great uncle and grandfather and I got into it, and Mabel jumped in. Shockingly enough, she chose to take my side. That girl puzzles me sometimes. Either way, it ended with me getting punched. You feeling hungry?”

An eyebrow raised slightly as Dipper regarded his friend. William was keeping something from him, and was changing the topic in hopes that it would distract him. For now, Dipper decided to pretend that it worked.

“I’m not,” he replied lightly. “Bill didn’t give me much of a chance to eat at dinner, but I’m actually feeling kind of full. Your eye looks like it might hurt though. Shouldn’t you go get some ice for that?”

“The eye will be fine,” the elder teen dismissed. “It doesn’t matter. We have a lot to talk about, Dipper.”

Dipper started, then shook his head quickly. “Do we?” he asked cautiously.

For a moment, William said nothing and stared at the brunet with a look of incredulity on his face. Then, he spoke. “Dipper, Bill was able to harness magic through your body.”

“So?” Dipper shrugged, confused. “He’s done that before. He’s powerful enough, so it’s probably more than likely that he can channel his magic and use it.”

William shook his head. “You aren’t getting it, Dipper. The flames that sprouted from your hands weren’t blue. Cipher’s are. They were orange, like the color of normal fire. They were _yours._ ”

Dipper blinked a few times, surprised by the revelation. “That’s....not possible,” he finally managed weakly. “I-humans don’t have magic.”

“Humans don’t normally _harness_ magic,” William corrected. “Most humans living within magical hotspots, or who have ancestors that have lived within magical hotspots like Gravity Falls, have magic within them. It’s just never used.”

“I....have magic,” Dipper responded dumbly. “How?”

“You’re related to Stanley and Stanford,” the blond pointed out. “They have magic because their ancestors are from here. You and Mabel are theirs.”

“Mabel,” Dipper breathed out. “Does she know? That she can probably do this too?”

William yawned, “maybe. I think she’ll figure that she can since you and the Stans can. Would you like me to ask?”

“No!” Dipper exclaimed, tensing. “I-I don’t want her to have to get involved with this if she doesn’t have to.”

“She _did_ mention that the journals have some spells in them,” William pointed out lazily. “Therefore, I think she might have some idea that she can possibly do magic. Why are you so against it, anyway? Her learning could better her defense against the paranormal.”

Dipper gnawed absentmindedly on his lip. “It’s not that I don’t want her to have this defense mechanism....I don’t want her to get involved too much in the paranormal anymore. Sure, it was fun when we were kids, but she has her whole life ahead of her. She’s going to go to an elite fashion design school and I can’t let my work put that on the line.”

“She can back out at any time,” the blond murmured softly. “You do realize that, right?”

Dipper sighed, rubbing at one of his eyes to clear away any sleep residue. “I know,” he mumbled. “But it would kill me if she got hurt because of this. Mabel has so much to look forward to in life...I have this.”

“She can make that choice for herself,” William told him gently. “Now, I think you should try getting up. Stanley wants to make sure that the tranquilizer didn’t do any permanent damage on you.”

Dipper slowly got up and stood on shaky legs, dizziness forcing him to quickly sit back down again. “I...think I’ll be fine,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “I’m still a bit nauseous from it, I think. That, plus I haven’t had much to eat today.”

William nodded, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Okay, I’ll go get you a cup of water soon. Quick question first – do you know where your library card is?”

Dipper thought for a moment, startled to discover that the library was another place that he had completely neglected so far. “I...I want to say that Grunkle Stan has it,” he finally answered. “Or, scratch that, actually. I don’t trust him with my shit. I think it might be somewhere in the register drawer in the gift shop. Why do you ask?”

“Research,” the blond replied easily. “I’ll go get you that water, and then you need to rest. Tomorrow, we begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Friday, everyone :)
> 
> It's been a couple of weeks again, and I apologize deeply for that. I think I know where I'm headed though, and a lot of my free time gets spent trying to create the chapters. I'm not complaining, my dear readers - I could never be so ungrateful for the support you give. Chapter nine has been slow to write so far (mostly because future bits keep wanting to be drabbled, TBH), but I have hopes for it.
> 
> As things are, I want to thank any new readers for giving this fic the time of your day, and my older readers for sticking with me and not losing faith (that I can tell, anyway). You're all awesome, and some of the words that I've received recently from a few of you have been enough to reduce me to happy tears. So thank you all, for being so awesome =)
> 
> In case any of you ever get curious (god, I hate self promoting -_-), I have a tumblr. This fic has a tag, even though there's not much on it. The official tag for this fic on there is 'Escape the Entropy' - reasoning as to why is found on my blog's page titled 'Other Tags'. If you want to ask any questions, feel free to do so. If you wanna recommend any songs - I'd love you forever. My ITunes is ever-expanding (thanks to a few streamers *cough - Elentori and Yucko - cough*, and I'm always open for new suggestions =)


	9. Chapter 9

Dipper sat crosslegged on the daybed in his reading room, studying a book on Latin and taking notes over the text. Grunkle Stan had allowed him to stop work early for the last few days without much complaint – neither he nor Stanley had been too warm towards Dipper since the possession incident a week earlier. While Dipper didn’t blame them, he wished that they wouldn’t just block him out the way they were.

William was sitting next to Dipper on the daybed, the blonde’s back to his as the elder teen napped. Will had been taking notes and calmly instructing Dipper on his Latin pronunciation at first, but had finally given up and instructed him to translate the words and detail what each spell did. Then, he’d gone to sleep.

Dipper chewed on his pen thoughtfully. William had specifically told him not to try saying any of the words aloud while he slept just in case Dipper actually managed to get something right and accidently destroy something. On the other hand though....Dipper wanted to quickly move his head and see if the blond was still sleeping, but he didn’t want to risk waking him.

Dipper held one hand up, studying it intently for a moment. The page described how the spell was supposed to work, gave him the word for it, but...was it really that simple? Could one little word really be enough to make flames dance on his fingertips the way they had when Bipper had summoned them?

He licked his lips nervously, then opened his mouth to speak. “Ig-”

“Don’t even think about it.” William’s voice cut him off before he could finish the spell. He blushed, dropping his hand and looking back down at his notes.

“I-I thought you were...”

“Asleep?” William supplied. “You really thought that I was going to let you get your hands on a spellbook and then go to _sleep_?”

Dipper bit his lip. “You need to, though. You’re beginning to look like death warmed over.” William chuckled and Dipper shifted slightly to get a closer look at the blonde’s cerulean eye.

The bags under William’s eye had increased a hundredfold since the possession incident, and it seemed like almost all of the elder teen’s free time was spent in the lab under the Mystery Shack. As it was, the two had barely gotten to hang out over the last week, aside from going to the library and the blond giving Dipper reading instructions.

“Of course you’d say that,” Will breathed. “Though, really, you don’t have much room to talk.”

Momentarily, Dipper went cross-eyed. Their faces were closer than he intended and the tender look Will was giving the brunet made him want nothing more than to kiss him.

“Yeah...” he exhaled, backing up a bit. He focused his attention back onto his notes, hoping that William wouldn’t notice his red face. “I’m just...really observant, is all.”

“It’s that intuition I was telling you about,” William declared. “Either way, I don’t want you practicing magic indoors. It’s probably _not_ such a good idea to burn the shack down for the sake of a little curiosity.”

“Can we go outside then?” Dipper asked excitedly. “I’ve been reading and studying all week, just like you told me to. I think I’m ready to try it!”

There was a moment’s pause from the elder teen, then he spoke. “Sure. We’ll need to get changed into something less, though. It’s hot enough outside and we’ll be playing with fire, which will just make things worse.”

Dipper glanced down at his attire. “Would jeans work?” he asked, looking back up at William.

The blonde’s lips quirked into a small smirk. “Slacks look better,” he murmured. “They make you seem more professional and serious – not that you need the extra seriousness.”

“I have two pairs of slacks at best though,” Dipper pointed out. “They’re more likely to get ruined.”

“Buy more then,” Will countered. “If you’re going to learn how to do magic under my watch, you’re going to look good while doing so.”

“Got it,” Dipper sighed, scribbling down a rough translation of a water spell he’d been staring at the past five minutes. “What about the shirt?”

“Shirtless,” William replied without hesitation. “Your torso is more than likely going to be the first place you burn, because it’s common for people to hold their hands near their chests. That, plus the fact that burnt clothes are too obvious. If you really want to keep this a secret from your sister, you can’t be bringing home burned clothing.”

“But if I manage to burn myself, I'll just get hurt,” Dipper pointed out, scrawling down another spell onto his notes. “Which is even worse than ruining my clothes. And what about my pants? Wouldn’t those get burned too?”

“I can heal a burn wound no problem,” Will replied hastily. “Clothing though? Not so much. And the slacks are going to be less noticeable if they get burned. They’re black. Nothing besides flour and dirt shows up on black clothing.”

“I can’t help but think that you have ulterior motives for this,” Dipper mumbled, closing the spellbook and stretching. “But sure, whatever.”

“Of course I do,” William murmured slowly in Dipper’s ear. “Those motives are beyond the point though.”

Dipper’s breath caught in his throat as Will laughed. He waited for the blond to leave, then drew his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms.

What was William doing to him? It seemed to be established that they were just friends, and Dipper sometimes had to wonder if he hadn’t just dreamed that the blond had ever kissed him. He’d rationalized a few weeks ago that the kiss had to have been a figment of his imagination, dreamt up by the alcohol, and he hated it.

_Kid, you think too much,_ Bill informed him boredly. _Also, you’re proving how stupid you are again. Your precious little friend has been giving you looks and making suggestive comments towards you since you guys met, and you’re over here beating yourself up for it? You’re more pathetic than I thought you were, Pine Tree._

“It would help if you weren’t poking into my every thought,” Dipper muttered gloomily.

_Get over it Piney. Your mind is my wonderland, and it doesn’t do for it to rain in your mindscape because you’re feeling insecure. If it bothers you so much, talk to the stupid meatsack about it. Isn’t that what always happens in those moving pictures?_

_Movies are different from reality,_ Dipper told the demon, slightly surprised. _I thought you didn’t care about humans?_

_I don’t. Now go and get changed like a good little meatsack, your friend is beginning to worry that you bailed._

Dipper finally got up from his reading spot and made his way to his room, pondering why Bill was being so helpful lately. It almost seemed like he was attempting to apologize for what had happened last week, but it wasn’t like the demon to apologize. For anything.

The slacks were easy enough to find and change into, but it was Mabel’s questions that made the process a million and a half times more complicated than it ever needed to be.

“You got a hot date tonight?” she teased as she painted her fingernails a bright pink color. Her eyes flicked up to his momentarily, her seemingly innocent grin turning wolfish in an instant.

“No,” he said shortly. “I’m doing some...investigating. With the stuff in the woods, you know? It needs to be stopped before it harms somebody.”

“Liar!” his twin accused playfully, her eyes lighting up as she screwed the bottle of polish shut. “William was saying something about you guys going for a walk!”

“Yeah. Well...” Dipper racked his brains frantically, trying to find a lie that would be convincing enough for her.

_Say that you guys might search through the woods after you’re done,_ Bill instructed. _You need to scope out a nightclub that operates in the nearest town, which is why you’re dressing so fancy._

“Will and I are going to scope out a club,” Dipper mumbled, searching through his closet to find a white dress shirt. “He thinks that we might have found a possible connection to the incidents in the woods. We might go for a walk afterward.”

“So it _is_ a date!” Mabel crowed triumphantly.

“It’s-”

“You could say that,” William’s voice sounded cheerfully from the doorway.

Dipper, who had finally managed to find the white shirt, promptly dropped it in shock. Will considered this a date?

Mabel squealed. “I knew it!”

Dipper laughed nervously, stooping quickly to pick up the shirt. “He’s joking,” he said hastily, fighting not to blush. “It’s _not_ a date.”

“Whatever,” Mabel teased, winking. “Just make sure that you guys stay safe Bro Bro.”

Dipper muttered a few choice words as he took the shirt off the hanger, then smiled quickly at his twin as he left.

“You’re not going to put the shirt on, you realize that, right?” William questioned as they walked downstairs at a leisurely pace.

“I know,” Dipper sighed despondently, taking his bag off and stuffing the shirt in. “I had to grab it for the sake of keeping up appearances.”

“You _could_ just tell her what’s really going on,” Will emphasized, smirking. “Then you wouldn’t have to go through such great lengths.”

“And that isn’t going to happen,” Dipper muttered, taking out the spell book and flipping through the pages.

“Okay then,” the blond hummed as they made their way towards the woods. “Suit yourself.”

“How far away is the area we’re going to be training in?” Dipper asked curiously a couple of minutes later.

“Just a mile or two in,” Will replied easily. “Not too far, just in case practice goes on longer than intended.”

“Right,” Dipper breathed. “Most of the creatures come out when the sun sets. How could I have forgotten?”

“You’ve been gone for quite some time,” the blond pointed out as they wove their way around trees. “It’s only to be expected that you forget a few minor details here and there.”

Dipper said nothing and focused on the path ahead of him, praying to whatever power there was up in the sky that he didn’t trip and make a fool out of himself. Amazingly enough, he managed to make it to the clearing on both feet.

“And we’re here!” William exclaimed, gesturing to the area around them.

“Time to get started then,” Dipper mumbled, setting his bag down on the ground next to a stump. He propped the spellbook on a tree stump and studied the page on the fire spell intently. After a moment, he shifted into the stance that the book described; feet shoulder-width apart and hands held in front of him.

He smiled, glancing down one last time. William had been right in telling him to practice this spell shirtless - if he messed up, he'd only have set it on fire. At the sound of Will's voice, he looked up.

"Your stance is good," the elder teen complimented with a small smile. "Try bending your knees just a tad bit to shift into a slight crouch. Doing that used to help me out a lot when I was starting out with magic.”

Dipper nodded and did as William had suggested, then glanced down at the spellbook a final time. "Ignis," he whispered excitedly, expecting flames to appear like they had when Bill had possessed him. He frowned when nothing happened and shook his hand. "Ignis," he repeated, his tone rising slightly. "I can't get it!" he exclaimed, frustrated when nothing happened again. "I think you were wrong, Will. I don't have any magic after all."

"You're just not doing it right," William explained calmly. "You keep trying too hard. That's why it's not working."

"Bill did it just fine though!" Dipper snapped, tossing his hands into the air. "Surely the flames would recognize my call and come, right?"

"Magic is _not_ that simple," Will emphasized. "It won't just listen to you unless you've dominated it. Take it from an expert."

Dipper was silent for several moments before speaking again. "You're right, I'm sorry. So, how _do_ you call the flames?"

"Magic," the blond corrected automatically. "This is way more than just flames, kid. Fire just so happens to be Cipher's favorite toy. Anyway, you like science, right? I mean, I figure that you have to, since you're so much like your grandfather and great uncle."

"Where is this going?" Dipper questioned cautiously.

"Let me show you." Suddenly William was in front of Dipper, taking one of his hands. He held it up, then dropped it again. "Never mind, you're probably going to burn my face off if I stand here." He stepped around Dipper swiftly, then gently grasped Dipper's wrist with one hand, the other moving to rest on the brunet's hip.

"It's like this," the blond murmured in Dipper's ear, the effect sending a chill down his spine. Will's hand slowly trailed from Dipper's hip to rest against his stomach. "This is the very core of our being. The magic inside of us builds from here. What you have to do is feel it within you, traveling upwards until it bursts from your fingertips." As he spoke, he slowly trailed his hand up to Dipper's chest. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Dipper shook his head. The only thing he felt was the enticing warmth of William's fingers splayed against his skin.

William rolled his eye. "Of course you don't," he murmured, chuckling quietly. "One of the only other beings in Gravity Falls that can harness magic and you're too stupid to feel it."

Dipper blushed, desperately wishing that the elder teen would move his hand. "I'm not stupid," he muttered back. "Either way, c-continue. Talking, I mean."

William's hot breath fanned against the back of Dipper's neck as he laughed, and the brunet hoped that he didn’t notice the effect it was having on him.

His hand finally traveled from Dipper’s chest to the one that hand that William wasn’t already grasping, matching the palms up, then lacing their fingers together. The blond let go of Dipper’s other wrist and stepped around to face him once more.

“What…?” Dipper found himself whispering, letting the thought trail off when the blond slowly leaned forward.

“Don’t freak out, okay?” William breathed, then hesitantly pressed his lips against Dipper’s.

For a moment, Dipper was too stunned to do anything. Then he slowly kissed William back, marvelling in the smooth feel of the elder teen’s lips. The blond let go of Dipper’s hand and wove his arms around the brunet’s waist, pulling him closer.

Dipper pulled back slightly for air, a heavy blush settling over his cheeks. “W-why would you…?”

“I don’t know if you’ve realized this,” William breathed, grinning. “But…I like you, Dipper Pines.”

Dipper opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again when no words came out. His mind was kind of hazy from shock, but somehow he still had the ability to question if Bill had been trying to give him a hint.

_You can thank me later, Pine Tree,_ Bill murmured smugly.

“You…like me,” Dipper mumbled, shaking his head slightly as if it would prove that this was just another dream.

The blonde nodded, leaning forward and brushing his lips against the corner of Dipper’s mouth. “I do,” he hummed. “And I can tell that you like me too.”

Dipper quickly took a step back, averting his gaze. "I....I do like you, Will," he mumbled. "But...I...I can't do this."

His heart was racing in time with his mind, and he struggled desperately to make some sense of what was happening. Will actually liked him....that was supposed to be good, right? Why were his hands shaking then? He had wanted this since that night in the club, had secretly wished for days that the blond would confess to having feelings, so why was he backing out of it?

"I...I understand, I guess." William spoke softly, his tone dejected.

Dipper glanced up at him quickly, biting his lip at the hurt look that was drawn across William's face. "It's not you," he blurted out, knowing full well that the expression never helped anything. "Look, I....I really, _really_ like you Will. I've been spending this last month trying as hard as I can _not_ to like you because I didn't think there was any chance in hell that you could ever like me back, and now that you admitted you do... Look, Will, it literally isn't you. It's me, because I can't take this risk."

He shifted uncomfortably, trying to focus his gaze on anywhere _but_ the blond. "Look...in high school, I had this friend. She was wonderful, and probably the best friend I ever had if we're not counting Mabel. I'd....had this growing attraction to guys for some time at that point, so I didn't, you know....go out much. And then one day, she was suddenly confessing that she liked me and I was telling her that I liked her back and then the next thing I know, boom! We're dating."

When he looked back up, Will was sitting on a log and beckoning for Dipper to join him. "This sounds like the type of story that doesn’t end well," he mused, giving Dipper a small, nervous grin. "Based off of your shaky tone and you saying that you can't do 'this'. So what went wrong? She wasn't into your little paranormal quirk?"

"I became gay," Dipper confessed, moving to sit down next to the elder teen. "It was like a nightmare at first. I was horrified with myself...like, why did it have to happen to _me_? I'd known for a while that Mabel was bi and I was cool with it, but Mabel....she's always been accepted."

"You weren't?" William questioned curiously. "It seems to me that everyone over here loves you for who you are. Even some of your peers in Piedmont seemed to like you genuinely enough."

Dipper sighed, "I love Mabel. I really do, it's just that....she's always had more friends than me, and my parents have always kind of seemed to care more for her. Even beyond my family troubles, I've seen so many kids get picked on in school for being homosexual, and the thought of me being one of them...it kind of scared me. The bullies all left Mabel alone because she was the social butterfly at the school. I didn't have that kind of luxury, and the whole ordeal made me hate who I was."

"You would have had Mabel though," the elder teen pointed out. “At any rate, let’s clear something up here – this girl of yours quit talking to you because you decided that you were attracted to males?” William’s tone was laced with disgust, and Dipper frantically corrected him.

“Heavens, no!” He exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. “It just wasn’t something that could be salvaged.  She was totally cool about it when we broke up and everything. She wished me luck and happiness...not every person I associate with is as judgmental as my parents are. It’s just...our friendship became unbearably awkward.”

“But wait...” William looked confused beyond help, and Dipper had to bite his lip to keep from telling the blond that he thought it looked cute. “How does this tie in to me kissing you and then saying that I like you?”

Dipper looked down, his cheeks burning from embarrassment. “I...I love what we have,” he admitted quietly, his tone barely above a whisper. “I love our friendship, and I don’t want anything to change that.”

Will made a small noise of what sounded like agreement. “I can see your point of view,” he hummed, his usual good mood returning. “Relationships do change friendships though...they enhance them.”

“But if something goes wrong....our friendship would end,” Dipper mumbled. “And I can’t let that happen. You’re...you’re all I’ve got. You’re probably the only social interaction outside of strangers and family and Pacifica that I’m ever going to get anymore.”

“We’ll figure it out Dipper,” William murmured reassuringly, standing up and stretching. “Anyways, let’s get back to the magic lessons for now. Do you think you can try to produce flames this time?”

Dipper nodded. “You’ve told me how to summon magic,” he breathed, following the blonde’s example and standing. “I can do this. I’ve just gotta...I’ve just gotta hold my color.”

The elder teen snickered. “Hold your color?” he mocked, grinning. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Dipper blushed. “It’s something I came up with,” he mumbled. “Like...in a way, it means remain calm, stand my ground...hold my own. It’s dumb.”

“I like it!” William decided. “Now...focus, and make flames!”

Dipper inhaled deeply and closed his eyes as he held a hand in front of him and focused. He concentrated on the feelings within him, attempting to ‘feel’ the magic. “Ignis,” he whispered, opening his eyes when he was sure that it had worked.

There was nothing.

Dipper closed his eyes again briefly, shame and disappointment filling him. He was so sure that he had felt something that time!

He sighed, “you were wrong, Will. I can’t.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” the elder teen encouraged. “It’s just a bit hard to get it at first. Just....try again.”

Dipper flushed, feeling like an idiot. “I’m sorry for wasting your time,” he grumbled, shifting uneasily and kicking a small rock.

“This isn’t a waste of time,” William argued, his eye heavy with seriousness. “Look Dipper, I know you can do this.”

“We should be worrying about the forest instead,” Dipper shot back evenly, clenching his fists. “There’s something attacking it, so it should be our top priority!”

William’s eye flashed and for a moment, Dipper could have sworn that he saw blue fire. “Dipper,” the blond said lowly. “Try again. Now.”

“This is stupid!” he argued. “There’s nothing special about me – I’m just an ordinary human! Obviously, you were wrong!”

“Just try again!” William snapped. “If you would quit being such an idiot, you’d have done this by now!”

“FINE!” Dipper yelled, something inside of him shattering. “Ignis! You see? It’s not-” A still unfamiliar heat covered his hands, making him pause and stop speaking. He raised his hands to find that orange flames covered them completely.

“H-How....?” He stuttered, gaping in shock. “This...I didn’t think....I-I did it!”

William grinned, any previous traces of anger disappearing with it. “Just as I thought,” he mused. “You’re....different than I am, so most of your power is going to be fueled by emotion. It seems like your fire is fueled mostly by anger...makes me wonder how the rest of it is gonna work.”

“You did that on purpose,” Dipper realized, the rest of his anger fading away at the blonde’s words.

The blond nodded, his grin widening. “I did. If nothing else, let this be your lesson to never give up on anything. I think we’re done for today.”

“Why?” Dipper asked, “I just- we just barely managed to accomplish getting a small flame! I thought-I thought that I was going to learn today!”

“You _will_ ,” William emphasized, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You’re fresh at this, too fresh to try to do too much at first. Magic takes a toll on your body, and I’d rather not have to carry you back to the shack because you bit off more than you could chew.”

Begrudgingly, Dipper admitted that the elder teen was right. He picked the spellbook up and closed it, then sat down in its place on the tree stump and opened his bag. After a moment of staring at its contents, he held up the white dress shirt he’d brought.

“Do you think I should put this on now?” Dipper asked, keeping his gaze lowered to the ground. “To...to keep up with appearances?”

“Yeah,” came William’s quiet response. “Dipper...”

He looked up to find that the elder teen’s focus was on him. Instead of looking back down though, he met the blonde’s gaze evenly. “Yeah?”

“I’m really proud of you,” Will finished with a small grin. “You’ve achieved something that most mortals can’t, even if it did piss you off in the process. Now that you can summon enough magic to produce a small flame, we can move on to bigger and better things.”

Dipper nodded, “I can’t wait,” he said honestly, putting on the white dress shirt and buttoning it up. “I still can’t believe I was able to do it...”

“You have good potential and a lot of magic within you,” William noted. “You’ll go far.”

“I hope so,” Dipper murmured, standing and brushing off some dirt from his slacks. The sun was high and now that the excitement of summoning magic had worn off, he was looking forward to going home and getting a cool shower. “Should we go?”

“Sure,” the blond hummed in agreement, grabbing Dipper’s bag and slinging it over his shoulders. “I was getting kind of hungry anyway.”

* * *

“Hey Mabel....” Dipper started hesitantly later on that night as he flipped absentmindedly through a spell book. “I...I think I’ve got a problem.”

“Like what?” Mabel asked curiously, looking up from the tacky romance novel she’d been reading, a delighted expression crossing over her face. “I love solving conflicts!”

“It’s...about Will,” he continued, glancing up at her. “He....likes me. In that way.”

“Oh my gosh!” She squealed, dropping the book in favor of clapping her hands enthusiastically. “What did you say?! And how is this a problem???”

“I told him that I can’t go out with him,” Dipper finally said quietly.

Mabel’s smile fell. “Oh. Why...why did you say that? You know that Grunkle Stan wouldn’t mind, right? He wants you to be happy.”

“I’m pretty sure he wishes I was dead right now,” Dipper grumbled, looking back down at the book. “He’s been avoiding me since the Bipper incident.”

Mabel hesitated before speaking again. “Well...”

“He hates me, Mabel,” Dipper deadpanned flatly, sighing. He set the book down on his nightstand and drew his knees up to his chest, circling his arms around them and resting his head on top. “Both of them do. Grunkle Stan was willing to at least teach me to run the shop before, but now he just grumbles excuses about needing to do taxes. Taxes, Mabel. He avoids them like he does Pioneer Day.”

Mabel attempted a small smile. “Maybe Stanley gave him some good habits over the years?”

“I doubt it,” he muttered forlornly, burying his face in his arms. “Stanley hasn’t let me down in the basement since then either. It’s like...like they’re afraid of me now or something.”

There was a sudden dip in the bed beside him and then his twin was there, wrapping her arms around him. “I’m sure they aren’t, Dip-Dop,” she whispered reassuringly. “Have you tried to talk to them about it?”

“I’ve tried to approach them for general things...” Dipper grumbled. “And they always just dart away and make me feel like some kind of monster or something. I...I saw the fear in Stanley’s eyes when I almost killed him. He knew that it was me, and it terrifies me that I almost did it. It...it wasn’t Cipher, Mabes. That was all me.”

“It’s not your fault Bro,” Mabel whispered, squeezing him tighter and resting her head against his. “You weren’t....you just didn’t....I know you didn’t mean to do that, okay? You might not believe it, and the Stans might not know it, but I do. You’re a wonderful goofball that goes monster hunting and sings pop songs in the shower when he thinks nobody’s around to hear. You’re my brother, Dipper. You’ve got a big heart, even if your mind is too clouded to see it right now.”

“Thanks,” Dipper murmured, his voice cracking slightly. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he blinked them away.

“Hush now,” his twin murmured, kissing the top of his head soothingly. “I think you got up too early today or something. Maybe you overworked yourself. Either way, it’s time for bed Dipper.”

“Okay,” he whispered back softly, realizing how drained he felt. He looked up and gave his sister a shaky smile. “Thank you, Mabes.”

“Welcome!” she replied cheerfully, letting go of him. “Now lay down, you big dork.” She hopped off of the bed and skipped to her own, flicking off the lamp on her way. “Night Dippingsauce!”

Dipper did as she commanded, casting one last glance at the spellbook through the moonlight. He had done well today...and perhaps tomorrow would be even better. “Goodnight Mabel,” he murmured, closing his eyes sleepily.

Blissfully, his sleep was dreamless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once....I'm not so sure what to say. I think the next chapter might just be able to come out next Friday as a special Fourth of July treat for you guys. Aside from that, I managed to start mapping out the chapters for the future, and....well, holy shit. This fic is going to be at least forty chapters by the time it's over with, and I haven't even completely figured out the ending yet. 
> 
> As per usual, a major thank you to my wonderful beta for helping me out with this, and an even bigger one for helping me figure out a lot of what's going to transpire in the near-ish future. 
> 
> Also as usual, thank you everyone for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

June came to pass, and July rolled in with a heat wave like none other Oregon had ever experienced. Tourists were scarce around the Shack for the time being, most of them choosing to flock the town pool instead. Stanley had finally forced Grunkle Stan to turn on the air conditioning, but the machine was so old that it hardly helped. Thus, they turned to the final solution – ice cream and popsicles. As it was, it ended up being Mabel’s and Dipper’s job to go get the frozen treats.

“Ooh! Sherbet! We should get some, Dipper!” Mabel exclaimed, running ahead and pressing her forehead against the glass of the door to stare at the flavors. “They have rainbow, Dipper! I _need_ this!”

“You don’t _need_ anything,” Dipper replied firmly, calmly rolling the shopping cart over to where she was. “You may want the ice cream, but Stan said that this is going out of my pay, not yours.”

“It’s _sherbet_ ,” Mabel emphasized dramatically. “And you know he didn’t mean that, right? He gave me his card before we left and told me to go crazy!”

Dipper sighed, mentally cursing their great uncle for telling him that the ice cream was on him and his sister for downing a pint of Mabel Juice that morning. He nodded then, content to let his twin have at. “Grab the sherbet then. Keep in mind how much freezer space we have available though.”

Mabel’s shoulders slumped momentarily at the mention of the freezer space issue. “We can throw away the frozen vegetables,” she resolved, opening the freezer door and grabbing a gallon carton of rainbow colored sherbet. “I hate those anyway.”

“Will likes them though,” Dipper reminded her with a small grin. “He’d have a conniption if we threw those away. Plus, they make for good ice packs.”

“He’ll have to get over it then,” Mabel sang cheerfully. She ran down a few freezer doors and grabbed some rocket pops, then returned. “We need plenty of ice cream for the party this weekend!”

“I can testify against that,” Dipper snarked back playfully.

Mabel crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him playfully in retaliation. “Everyone loves ice cream Bro Bro,” she told him seriously before going back to retrieve more. She returned about a minute later with a myriad of different ice cream and sherbet containers.

“That’s enough,” Dipper asserted gently, pushing the cart out of the aisle. By then it was half full, and they hadn’t been in the store for more than ten minutes.

“Toppings!” Mabel screeched, making him jump. She ran back to grab some from one of the shelves, and Dipper paused to allow her to place the various toppings into the cart. “We can’t have a sundae party without the toppings!”

“We can’t have a Fourth of July party without the fireworks either though,” he told her, heading in the direction of the firework aisle. “And the cart’s already running out of room. Didn’t you also want some water balloons and food supplies?”

Mabel’s face brightened instantly. “I can go get us another cart!” she exclaimed. “And we can put the food stuffs in there!”

“The ice cream is already in here Mabes,” Dipper pointed out. “We could put the party supplies in the other basket.”

“Alright,” Mabel agreed, and left to go get a second shopping cart. Dipper continued on his path, thinking about everything and nothing all at once.

Bill had been silent for the past several days. Dipper’s dreams were mostly quiet, with the occasional nightmare that he assumed Bill gave him to remind him of who held the upper hand in their deal. He didn’t think that the demon would use William’s image to try to scare him, but it worked to a certain extent.

He sighed, shaking his head lightly. _Positive thoughts, Dipper,_ he told himself firmly. _The Stans are kind of talking to you again. things are looking up from the disaster this summer has been so far. Nothing has changed between you and Will._

As happy as he should have been about that, the thought almost depressed him. He wanted their friendship to stay the same, but...there was something about William that struck a chord. Despite his best attempts, his thoughts always circled back around to the blond.

“I’m back!”

Mabel’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to find that he had somehow subconsciously stopped right in front of the giant firecracker display. He nodded to his twin.

“Alright. Since you have the card, I’m guessing you also have some sort of idea of what our budget is.”

Mabel shook her head. “Nope! Now, pick the most badass fireworks they have Dip-Dop!”

Dipper chuckled and peered at the firework packages, trying to find a good balance between showy and powerful. He finally managed to spot the 150 pack of fireworks and decided that it would have to be good enough. It contained a few fireworks that made nice big booms, but it also contained many of the ones that made pretty pictures that Mabel enjoyed.

“This is gonna be so much fun!” Mabel squealed as they left the fireworks display and headed for the plastic dining stuff aisle. “Are you going to do any cooking this year? Or are you gonna leave it to me again?”

Dipper smiled sheepishly, looking up at the signs around them in an attempt to find the area they needed. “I’m probably going to let you do it, Mabes. Last year I almost set the shack on fire, remember?”

She giggled, “good point. I think we need to go by the seasonings next though. Stanley’s been experimenting more than usual lately, and I think we’ve run out of a few things.”

“Since when did this become more than an ice cream run?” Dipper mused as he selected some styrofoam trays and a large set of plastic silverware. “I could have sworn that Stan gave us a thirty minute time frame to get this done.”

“Not like the Shack’s opened anyway,” Mabel pointed out. “Thanks to this stupid heat wave.”

“But they want the ice cream soon,” Dipper reminded her, pausing in his steps. Had they already passed the spices? He looked up at the signs around them, his eyes narrowing. The words blurred slightly, then cleared. “We passed the spices already,” he sighed, turning the cart around and heading for aisle two.

“Why do you keep doing that Bro Bro?” his twin asked curiously, a hint of concern creeping into her tone.

“Doing what?” he questioned absentmindedly, his eyes constantly scanning the area around them for anything odd or out of place.

“Squinting like that,” Mabel replied, darting ahead to walk just in front of him. “You’ve been doing it for a long time now...I just didn’t say anything before because I wasn’t too sure if you knew you were doing it. I’m guessing that you didn’t.”

Apparently, somewhere along the way, he’d begun growing blind.

He shrugged, realizing the situation for what it was. “Have I?” Mabel nodded, confirming what he subconsciously already knew. “I guess I’ll need to go see an optometrist then.”

“You should do it after this!” Mabel exclaimed brightly.

“The next eye doctor is half an hour away Mabes,” Dipper pointed out flatly. “The ice cream will melt. I’ll probably just set an appointment for this weekend or something.”

“The shops are closed this weekend,” Mabel retaliated smugly. “Because of the holiday and whatnot. Besides, don’t you want to show off your new level of nerdiness to _Wendy_?” She put a spin on the redhead’s name, her smile growing triumphant.

Dipper rolled his eyes at his twin’s antics. “I’m over that,” he mumbled, not that she really needed the reminder. “And I changed my mind. I’ll get contacts, that way you can’t tell the difference.”

Mabel pouted and even though she was what Dipper considered to be a legal adult, he still found the expression adorable. “You’re no fun,” she grumbled. “Bet’cha that Will has a kink for guys in glasses.”

Dipper’s eyes widened, and his cheeks burned at the thought. “Mabel!” he hissed, closing his eyes briefly in mortification. “We’re in public!”

“So he told you that he does then,” she teased, not missing a beat. “Staying up all night obsessing over that journal might have been worth it after all.”

“I hate you,” he fired back through gritted teeth as they turned into the aisle filled with seasonings. “Now grab the spices so we can go; I’m pretty sure the ice cream is melting by now.”

* * *

Dipper laughed helplessly as he stared at his reflection through a mirror. In order to give him a precise prescription, the optometrist had to dilate his pupils and the end result was downright _hilarious_. To him, anyway. He was pretty sure that he was getting some strange looks from the other people in the building, but he didn’t care for once. People normally thought he was weird, so a few more on the list wouldn’t faze him.

“Hey Bill,” he giggled, moving his face closer to the mirror so he could get a better look. “Check it out, I can see why the call the eyes the window to the soul!”

 _That’s a blue light, Pine Tree,_ the demon deadpanned.

“It’s in my eyes though! Maybe it’s my soul!”

 _I’m going to kill your sister for giving you those pills._ Dipper sobered up just enough to stop laughing, and the demon continued. _I really didn’t want to think that you were as stupid as the rest of these meatsacks, but you’ve proven me wrong. That pretty blue light that you think is your soul is just a light reflecting in your eyes._

“It’s only in one eye though,” Dipper argued, setting his hands on his hips. “So where’s your loophole around that?”

“Uhm...Mister Pines?” A throat gently being cleared behind Dipper made him turn around in surprise.

“Oh! Uh...I was just talking....to myself.” Dipper rambled, flushing. “You needed something?”

“Your prescription is ready, mister Pines,” the optometrist told him mildly. He didn’t say anything about Dipper talking to himself, much to the brunet’s relief.

The frame he’d chosen for his glasses was simple and black, and made him look more professional in his opinion. He jumped when he put them on, the details around him automatically becoming less blurred and sharper than before. He quickly pulled them off his face, then put them back on again.

“Good lord I’m blind,” he muttered to himself, switching between wearing the glasses and not wearing them in an astonished manner. He paid for the glasses, then put on the sunglasses he’d been given and stepped outside to wait for his ride.

 _You’d better not take those off and blind yourself,_ Cipher warned. _I still have uses for your meatsack, and it won’t work if I can’t see shit._

“I won’t,” Dipper sighed, massaging his temple. The sudden change from cool air to heat and bright sunlight was giving him a headache, not to mention that the pill Mabel had sworn would ease his fears about the appointment (which it had) was beginning to wear off.

“Dipper!”

He looked up sharply at the sound of his name being called, and saw William walking down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, waving. He waved back and made his way over to the blond.

“Hey,” he greeted when Will was in earshot. “I thought Mabel was coming to get me.”

“There’s been a slight change of plans,” the elder teen replied smoothly. “Pacifica called, and Mabel went over there. She asked me to come get you. Where are your glasses?”

Dipper took his small glasses case out of his vest pocket. “In here,” he answered lightly. “My pupils are still really sensitive to light and stuff, so I can’t take off the sunglasses until they’re smaller.”

“Makes sense,” William conceded, grinning. “So do you wanna go back to the shack and nom on some popsicles, or do you wanna go over to Pacifica’s? Mabel said something about them planning for the party this weekend.”

Dipper nodded, “sure. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been over there anyway. So how are we going to get there?”

“We’re walking,” Will replied nonchalantly. “The trip shouldn’t take that long anyway.”

The trip to Pacifica’s mansion took about half an hour because of how far away it was from the rest of the town, but the two easily passed the time by verbally reviewing the notes Dipper had been taking over some of the more complex spells in the book.

The guard at the gate immediately let them in, recognizing Dipper from the many summers he’d spent hanging out with Pacifica. The young heiress’s father wasn’t home - he normally wasn’t when the twins were over. Pacifica’s mother was, from the looks of things, but she’d grown reluctantly fond of the twins over the years.

Will and Dipper made their way up the long driveway, sidestepping the occasional peacock and taking great care to not step in the grass. Dipper wouldn’t have cared when he was twelve, but he was older now and he knew how much time the gardener put into the Northwest’s lawn.

Instead of knocking like he normally would have done, Dipper just opened the door and strode right on inside. Mabel was there, after all, so she and Pacifica had to be expecting him at some point....right?

Surprisingly enough, the girls weren’t in the living room like they normally would have been. They checked the kitchen next, with little success. Finally after wandering around aimlessly, they found Mabel and Pacifica in the Northwest’ movie theater, munching on popcorn while watching some horror movie. Dipper tried to keep his eyes averted from the screen, because scary movies were really not his thing.

He slowly tiptoed towards the duo, motioning for William to stay behind. Luckily, the blond caught on to what he was attempting to do and stayed silent.

Mabel glanced back for a millisecond, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her twin. She opened her mouth to exclaim a greeting to Dipper, and he quickly held a finger up to his lips to keep her silent and let her know of his intentions at the same time. She nodded once to show that she understood and turned her attention back to the movie.

Dipper tentatively crept forward until he was directly behind Pacifica.

“BOO!”

The blonde shrieked and popcorn went flying everywhere. Mabel and William burst out laughing at the same time and if looks could kill, Dipper was sure that the glare Pacifica was giving him right about then would have sent him to an early grave.

“You bastard!” she exclaimed, throwing a handful of popcorn at him. Dipper caught one of the pieces in his mouth and held it between his teeth, grinning.

“Come on Paz, you know you love me,” he teased, eating the piece of popcorn.

The blonde huffed and paused the movie, then set the tub of popcorn on the ground between her and Mabel’s seats. “Whatever,” she muttered indignantly, giving him a once-over. “Where the hell are your dorky nerd glasses? Mabel said that you went to go get some.”

“Pocket,” Dipper replied, taking off his sunglasses. “Hey, do my eyes look normal to you?”

“They’re fine,” Pacifica dismissed, standing. “What do you dweebs want? Mabel and I were right in the middle of the movie, and you _know_ how I hate movie time being interrupted.”

Dipper gestured to William, who had come to stand beside him. “He said that you guys were planning the party for this weekend.”

“There’s not really much to plan,” Mabel commented absentmindedly. “We already have the party and food supplies, and there’s not much after that.”

“Music?” Dipper supplied. “Guests?”

“Family and close friends,” Pacifica answered automatically. Dipper raised an eyebrow at the heiress skeptically, and she quickly amended. “ _Your_ friends and family, obviously. I wouldn’t let any of mine within miles of the shack.”

“Thanks,” Dipper murmured dryly, sarcasm laced through his tone.

Pacifica shrugged noncommittally. “Hey, it is what it is buddy. Besides, I haven’t really hung out with my friends much since graduation anyways. They kind of stupid, actually. All Tanya and Brie could talk about at graduation was how they would never have to get a job or leave home. They’re total losers.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Dipper told her honestly. “Are you excited for ULA?”

“Oh yeah!” Mabel exclaimed excitedly in place of the blonde. “And to answer your earlier question, we don’t need to plan out the music because Pacifica already has a totally rad playlist on her ipod!”

William snickered at Mabel’s wording, and Dipper had to bite his lip to hide a small smile. “That’s good,” he finally managed. “Nothing from Sev’ral Times though, right?”

Mabel gasped, feigning a look of anger. “Rude!”

Pacifica laughed. “I have a bit of everything,” she told Dipper. “Now, was the party planning all that you wanted? Mabel and I want to get back to the movie.”

Dipper held up his hands in surrender. “I get it; we’re leaving.” He shot a quick glance at his twin. “I take it you’re staying the night then?”

Mabel nodded enthusiastically, “of course!”

Dipper mockingly saluted to Mabel and Pacifica, then tugged quickly on William’s shirt sleeve to signal that it was time to go. “See you tomorrow,” he called back to the girls, pausing for a moment to take his glasses out of his pocket and slip them on. They left, resuming their earlier conversation over magic and what they were going to study for their next lesson.

* * *

Finally, it was Fourth of July and Dipper could relax and let Mabel be in charge of things for a change. He had to admit, she had done well with the party planning. There were lights strung up all over the backyard that would be turned on later on that night, and a small freezer had been ‘donated’ to them by Pacifica to stash the popsicles in. It was a good thing, considering that Mabel had gone above and beyond their available freezer space in her excitement when they had gone shopping.

Dipper lounged by himself on the roof above his reading spot, casually sipping on a can of Pitt Cola. A few of the guests still had yet to arrive, so he was perfectly content to stay up there until they did.

For a moment, his mind flashed to thoughts of Wendy. It had been a couple of years since he had seen her last, and he couldn’t help but wonder how much she had changed. Was she still the same funny, snarky teen that he once knew, or would she be distant and closed off? Would she even want to talk to him?

 _You’re being ridiculous Piney,_ Bill sighed wearily from his mind. _Do you really think that_ Red _of all people would shut you out? She hasn’t changed a bit._

Dipper started at the sound of the demon’s voice in his mind. _Long time no hear,_ he replied evenly. _And...thanks? Where have you been anyway? I mean, I know you talked to me a couple of days ago, but you’ve been really quiet lately._

_You ask too many questions._

_That’s another thing,_ Dipper continued. _When you_ do _talk to me, you sound all tired and stuff. Can you even_ get _tired? Whatever happened to being a “being of pure energy with no weakness”?_

There was no answer from the demon, and Dipper sighed and gave up. Despite himself, he was almost beginning to worry about Bill. He’d been all about rifling through Dipper’s mind at the beginning of their deal, so what had happened to change that?

“Dipper!” A voice called to him from below. He looked down to see Wendy waving at him energetically, a delighted expression on her face. “Hey!”

“Hey!” he greeted back excitedly, a small smile passing over his lips. He held up a finger, and climbed down the roof just enough to slip into the attic window beneath the ledge. “Give me a sec!” he called out to her, then quickly ran downstairs.

She wore an amused smile when he finally ran out to where she was patiently waiting. Dipper didn’t hesitate to give her a hug, and she returned it fully.

“How have you been?” he asked her eagerly when he finally let go and took a few steps back.

“Pretty awesome!” she replied, shooting him a thumbs up. “School’s been a total bitch and sometimes I regret going, but I know it’s going to do good for me. How about you?”

Dipper paused and thought for a moment about his answer. “It’s been okay,” he said slowly. “My dad and I got into a huge….predicament before I left and shit. Called me a disappointment and stuff. The usual.”

“Ouch,” Wendy hissed, her expression changing into one of empathy. “That’s rough, dude.”

Dipper nodded, but he didn’t feel sorry for himself. For some reason or another, his rocky relations with his father was just a fact of life and he’d learned to accept it. “We should call each other more often or something,” he noted with a small grin. “Then we wouldn’t have to speak two months in a stretch of ten minutes.”

Wendy grinned back. “We definitely will,” she agreed. “So, in the two months since we’ve last really caught up, I met someone.”

Dipper’s face lit up. “You did? Really? What’s their name?!”

“His name is Tyler,” Wendy replied casually, smirking. “And from what Mabel’s been telling me, you have too.”

Dipper blushed. “We’re not actually dating,” he mumbled, turning his gaze to his feet. “Will and I are just friends.”

“Deny it all you want, but I can tell what you’re like when you’re lovestruck,” the redhead teased. “Don’t forget, it used to be me that you’d look at with the little hearts in your eyes. From what your sister’s told me, you’ve got it bad for him.”

Dipper sighed, looking up and focusing his gaze on William, who was hanging out at the food table with Mabel and chatting with her. “I do like him a lot,” he said slowly. “But I can’t go down that road again.”

Wendy glanced over her shoulder. “Again? Dipper…..is this about that thing that happened with Lacy? Dude, that was two years ago. You’re a different person now.”

“She stopped hanging out with me though,” Dipper pointed out. “And she wouldn’t even really talk to Mabel anymore. It doesn’t matter how much I’ve changed since her, because the same thing could happen with Will.”

“I think you’re wrong,” the redhead declared. “Look, Mabel thinks that William is the best thing that’s ever happened to you, and I think I can agree. I don’t think you’ve smiled this much since….since a long time, Dipper.”

“Everything could go wrong though,” Dipper whispered. “What happens then?”

“You can’t focus on the negatives Dipper,” Wendy advised, shaking her head in mock pity. “Think about the better things, dude. What if everything with Will goes _right_?”

Dipper’s gaze snapped up to meet the redhead’s. He blinked a few times and bit his lip as he paused to actually consider what she was saying.

What if it _did_ go right? What if he decided to date William and it worked out well between them and they ended up staying together for a really long time?

The mental image of them living together when they were older flashed in his mind then, followed by one of them cuddling on the couch while watching a movie, and then of one portraying a wedding.

 _No,_ Dipper thought resolutely, shaking his head to clear the images from his mind. He was _not_ going to start thinking of a future that more than likely wasn’t going to happen. _This is exactly what happened the last time._

He straightened up and laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh….maybe. Maybe it will. I have to...go. Uhm, go talk to Mabel about the fireworks. She had something big planned, and I have to make sure that it’s nothing like what happened last year.”

Dipper walked away from Wendy and toward his sister, mentally berating himself every step of the way. He couldn’t allow himself to get too comfortable with the idea of being with William. The stakes were too high, the risks far outweighing the miniscule possibility of fate working in his favor for once.

 _He knows how rude your father can be,_ a small voice that wasn’t Bill’s tried rationalizing in a hopeful tone. _So maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…_

 _He doesn’t know everything,_ Dipper thought firmly as he reached the snack table. If the voice was his subconscious, then it was trying to intervene in his life just a little too late for his liking. _He can’t know the full extent of everything. I can’t let that happen._

“Hey Bro Bro,” Mabel greeted as she munched on a cookie. “What’s up?”

“Nothing really,” he replied, sighing. He glanced over at William, who had moved on to talk with Stanley. “I see you told Wendy about Will.”

Her smile slipped for a moment, then returned as bright as ever. “She seems really happy for you Dipper, and she agrees that you should go out with him.”

“Still not gonna do it,” Dipper replied lightly, reaching for a cookie. He chose his favorite kind, a macadamia nut and white chip one. “But thanks anyway. Where did Pacifica go?”

Mabel sighed at his response, but the smile stayed. “She’s on the phone right now. Her parents are upset because she’s not at their party.”

“I’m glad she’s here,” Dipper told his twin honestly. When he glanced over in Stanley’s direction, he was startled to find that both his grandfather and Will had disappeared. Where had they gone?

A sharp laugh sounded from somewhere behind him and he turned to see William standing with Wendy, talking and laughing. Something dark twisted from within, and he suddenly felt like something horrible was going to happen if he stayed there any longer.

“I’m going to go get something real quick,” he told Mabel, then quickly hurried off to the Shack. He knew that his lie was blatantly obvious, but he was thankful that his twin chose not to call him out for it.

Once he was inside the shack, he paused, unsure of where to go. The basement was always an option for when he needed some time to think, but it would look bad on his end if he ditched the party.

Finally, he sighed and decided that he’d just go back up to his spot on the roof. That way, he’d be able to at least watch over the party from afar and manage to know what was going on at the same time.

He snagged a bottle of beer and a blank notebook from the counter on his way up, figuring that he could at least begin mapping out the changes he was going to make to the shack once it was his.

 _Not that there’s going to be very many,_ he thought absentmindedly as he settled into a comfortable position on the roof ledge and opened up the bottle of beer. He took a small swig, then set it down beside him. _I’m thinking that once I can get ahold of some records, I can figure out a good time for the shack to be open and closed. Stan never said anything about it, but I know that not many tourists come around in the winter. Maybe the shack could be closed then? How would I earn money though?_

He scribbled down his thoughts, occasionally looking up to see how the party was progressing. The sun was slowly beginning to go down, and Dipper was suddenly glad that he normally kept a small book light in his pocket.

He worked and sipped on his beer until the sound of a throat quietly being cleared behind him made him jump. He glanced back to see Wendy standing behind him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Hey,” he murmured quietly, shutting his notebook.

“Hey,” she replied warmly, grinning. “You’re not partying. I figured that you would be.”

He shrugged. “I just...felt like being alone for a bit.”

“That’s not like you,” the redhead mused, settling herself down beside him. “I talked to William.”

“I noticed,” Dipper commented dryly, a small hint of jealousy seeping into his tone.

Wendy laughed, catching on to it. “He seems pretty cool,” she told him. “And he really likes you, Dipper. He told me that you’ve been learning magic on the DL?”

He nodded. “I don’t want Mabel knowing,” he explained sheepishly. “She could get hurt...and that’s not something that I want.”

“She won’t be happy if she finds out,” Wendy said warningly. “Which brings me full circle to something your boy toy mentioned - how long has Bill Cipher been parading around inside of your head, and why didn’t you tell me?”

“Over a month,” Dipper admitted. “And it didn’t come up in my mind. Sorry.”

“It’s all chill,” the redhead said, punching him lightly in the arm. “Kind of like you said, we need to learn to call each other more often. It’s just...kind of a surprise. How did that happen?”

Dipper told her the full story, starting with leaving Piedmont and finishing with the failed possession. They moved from topic to topic fluidly and spent a good hour just catching up on the things that they had missed, until the first firework went off.

“We should join the others,” Wendy declared, standing up. “The music is good, there’s more booze where you got the first one, and I’m pretty sure your sister is getting annoyed that we ditched them.”

“Sure,” Dipper agreed, following suit. They left the rooftop ledge and walked downstairs together, making small jokes here and there to fill what little silence penetrated the interior of the shack.

Once outside, though, Dipper stuck more to the shadows and watched his friends around him mingle and dance to the music, content to not join in. Dancing had never really been his thing anyway.

Across the yard, he watched Mabel and Pacifica chattering away, not failing to notice when Mabel attempted to catch a chocolate covered mini marshmallow in her mouth and failing spectacularly, nor did he fail to notice when Pacifica reached over and wiped a bit of chocolate off of his twin’s nose, a soft expression on her face.

He sighed wistfully and swept his gaze around the backyard, not realizing that he was seeking out William until he noted the blonde’s absence with another sigh. He looked down at the ground and listened to the transition from a slower song to one that sounded more upbeat.

“Do you wanna dance?” Will’s voice suddenly sounded, and Dipper looked up to see the blond extending a hand to him, looking hopeful. Around them, the music started to sing. _(Let’s light it up, let’s light it up, until our hearts catch fire.)_

“I don’t-” He started, but was swiftly cut off.

“Just trust me,” Will breathed. _(And show the world a burning light that never shined so bright.)_ He took one of Dipper’s hands and pulled him out to the part of the backyard Mabel had set aside for the dancefloor. The tempo of the song started to bounce as Will placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder, and his grasp on the brunet’s hand tightened slightly.

Dipper barely had time to panic before Will was guiding his movements. One hand in his, but where did the other go? _(We’ll find a way, we’ll find a way to keep the cold night)_ He took a nervous breath as the song continued on and rested his open hand at the blond’s hip, praying to the powers-that-be that he wasn’t screwing up horribly. ( _From breaking in over the walls into the wild side.)_

“So far so good,” Will breathed teasingly as he took a step back, squeezing Dipper’s hand slightly in a cue of sorts. ( _The hunger satisfies.)_

Dipper followed his lead clumsily, plastering his gaze to the ground to make sure that he didn’t step on William’s toes by accident. They fumbled through the first few steps and Dipper finally resolved to look up and let the elder teen lead him. _(We’re burning up. We might as well be lovers on the sun.)_ Amazingly enough, almost as soon as he quit focusing on where he was stepping, the dance became smoother, their steps more calculated. _(We might as well be lovers on the sun…)_

Suddenly, the slower and more solid tempo changed, making way for a lighter, almost techno-y tune. The song sped up, and Will switched up their dance to match. Dipper closed his eyes momentarily and forced himself to not think, letting his instinct take the wheel for a bit. He could hear Will laugh as they both spun, and smiled at the sound.

The song switched over into the second verse and their dance suddenly became more steady again. Dipper exhaled in relief and opened his eyes, only to lock gazes with William. _(We’ll never know, we’ll never know, what stands behind the door)_ “Why hello there, Dipper. Pleasure to see your eyes again.” _(I’ve got a feeling, it’s a feeling that’s worth dying for.)_

 _Fuck,_ he thought, blushing slightly. The tender amusement in Will’s eye was unmistakable, and his stomach flipped from the emotions it stirred up within him. _(Just close your eyes and hold your breath because it feels right)_ They twirled in time to the music, and the lights strung up around them caught their features in just the right way, highlighting Will’s eye and making it stand out. The more Dipper stared into it, into _him_ , the easier it became for him to follow the elder teen’s movements. _(We’ll keep it moving until we make it to the other side.)_

Will shifted to where they were even closer, their faces just inches apart. “I’m really glad to have you here with me right now, Dipper,” Will murmured in his ear. _(And let’s enjoy the ride.)_ Dipper wanted to say something, anything really, but words failed him. He squeezed his partner’s hand instead, tightening his grip around the other’s waist.

 _(We might as well be lovers on the sun…)_ The song sped up once more, but Dipper was ready, almost excited for it. Laughter bubbled up within him, spilling out in giggles. He relished in the dance, and the feel of the wind toying with his hair.

Will spun him around the makeshift dance floor just as he had before, leading him in a series of steps that suddenly didn’t seem quite so complicated anymore. By now, they were just close enough that Dipper couldn't tell if there was anyone else near them. If there was, he'd have to give Will credit for managing to avoid them all.

The song slowed down once more, coming to a close. _(Let’s light it up, let’s light it up, until our hearts catch fire.)_ Their wide circles started closing in, becoming smaller. A warmth radiated between the two dancers, and neither could keep a smile off of their face. _(Then show the world a burning light that never shined so bright.)_ They swayed to a stop, noses nearly touching. They stood there and allowed their breaths to even out, letting out a giggle every now and then.

"That...wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Dipper finally murmured, taking a step forward. He brushed his lips against the elder teen's cheek in a soft kiss, then stepped back again, letting go of the blond completely. He ran a hand through his hair, the other moving to rest on his hip as he shifted most of his weight to one side.

"I thought you might like it," William replied softly. His smile started to fade, his expression slowly becoming unreadable. "We'll have to do it again sometime." He gave one last glance, then turned and sauntered off, his steps unwavering and as confident as ever.

Dipper could only stare after the retreating form, cursing at the fact that as much as he _didn't_ want to fall for the blond, he was. Hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh.......Happy Fourth? This is technically a day late from my normal schedule, but I'm making a special exception for this chapter because it's a bit more holiday themed and because I love you all so much. Don't mind my random babbling please, it's 4:03 in the morning here and I have to "get up" for work in two hours and I'm not gonna get any sleep and my sis and I *literally* just finished editing this. 
> 
> Enough about my bitching though!
> 
> The song Dipper and "Will' dance to is Lovers on the Sun by David Guetta. When I first heard this song on repeat a few times, those two dancing just came to mind, and I knew I had to write it. 
> 
> So what did you guys think? As per usual, thank you for reading and leaving kudos and stuff! 
> 
> Have a great holiday everyone, and Welcome to Saturday =). Next chapter should hopefully be out in a few weeks, not so sure at this moment because I have a gift piece of Deerper!/Bill smut to write for a birthday gift. Wish me luck.


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was barely beginning to break over the horizon, and already, Dipper was exhausted. He and William had been out since three that morning, when the blond had decided that the weather was _perfect_ for practicing magic, and they’d been training twice as hard as normal.

Dipper was beginning to wonder if his best friend was secretly trying to prepare him for an attack or something.

“You’ve got this!” Will encouraged from somewhere behind Dipper as the brunet focused more magic into the small cyclone that he was literally spinning out of thin air.

“Can’t we take a break or something already?!” Dipper yelled back over the steadily growing roar of the wind, not breaking his gaze from the sky. “I’ve been at this for hours!”

“Not until you finish! Keep going!” Will commanded, and Dipper almost screamed in frustration.

Instead, he grit his teeth and poured more energy into the spell. After what seemed like forever he had finally managed to make the air start rotating rapidly, and now the rest of the air twister just needed to form. As he moved his hands to direct the magic to where he needed it to go, he wracked his memory to try to remember an earth spell that Will had taught him a few days earlier.

 _“This one will allow you to pull energy from the Earth rather than your own body,”_ the blond had explained as he demonstrated. _“That way, you’re not pulling quite so much from your body at a time. It’ll take you a lot longer to tire out.”_

As it was, Dipper couldn’t remember the spell for the life of him, and he could feel the magic usage beginning to take a toll on his body. _Just a bit more,_ he thought to himself, biting his lip. _It’s starting to spin faster now. It’ll be complete soon. Just a bit more!_

**_Kid, stop! You’re doing too much!_ **

Out of the corner of his eye he barely managed to catch the blue sparks that suddenly flared behind him. William shouted something in Latin, and then the cyclone suddenly stopped and all traces of it disappeared, the sudden absence of noise leaving Dipper’s ears ringing.

“What were you _thinking_?!” William yelled at him, his voice cracking slightly at the end.

Dipper turned to face his friend, flinching at the sight of the blonde’s livid expression. “That I wanted to be done with this,” he grumbled, resisting the urge to glare at William. “’I’m starving, and I’m tired and _drained_. We’ve been at this for hours, and you haven’t let me stop since I started making the air spin!”

“Magic is dangerous to mess with, you dumbass!” Will snapped, his voice rising an octave. “I didn’t let you stop, because everything would’ve gotten out of control!”

“It was going perfectly fine!” Dipper argued, gesturing at the sky angrily. “I was actually beginning to make it go faster when you intervened!”

“You’re so stupid!” Will yelled after a long tense moment of silence. “You’re not supposed to _rush_ magic! Going at the rate that you were, you likely would have gotten yourself killed if I hadn’t intervened when I did!”

Things fell silent between them again. Dipper tugged at his t-shirt nervously, turning his gaze to the ground. The air was thick with tension and he felt like it was suffocating him, the longer he stood there without saying anything. To his relief, when he glanced up at Will, the elder teen looked just as uncomfortable as he did.

“It really would have killed me?” he finally voiced quietly, looking back up to meet William’s piercing gaze. He thought momentarily about the voice he’d heard in his mind right before Will had intervened. It had been Bill’s, he was sure of it. Why speak up now though?

The demon rarely spoke to him these days, keeping quiet and appearing only in dreams if he had something important to tell Dipper. While he maintained his composure in the dreamscape, Dipper could see the cracks beginning to show.

Something was horribly wrong.

“It would have,” William finally said quietly, snapping Dipper out of his thoughts. “You have to be more careful with your magic, Dipper. If not...you’ll end up hurting yourself badly enough that I can’t fix it.”

“You’re the one that told me to make the twister in the first place,” Dipper pointed out, sighing irritably. “But sure. Whatever.”

An eyebrow raised. “I thought you were _ready_ ,” William mocked, glaring at him. “I thought you could handle larger spells by now.”

“You couldn’t have told me how much energy the air cyclone needed? Or how much time it would take to _actually_ accomplish it?!” Dipper yelled angrily, matching the elder teen’s scowl.

“That spell,” Will shouted, gesturing at the air around them again, “is the next step! If you can’t even manage that one, then you’re _clearly_ not ready!”

“You-” Dipper started, then cut himself off. He sighed, knowing that arguing wasn’t going to help the situation. “You’ve gotta be joking,” he muttered. “ _That’s_ the next easiest spell? How the fu-”

“Just stop,” William interrupted, holding up a hand. “We’re going to backtrack a bit and work on the simpler elemental spells for the next couple of weeks, and then we can try this again.”

Dipper huffed, an eye twitching in irritation. “I can do those in my sleep,” he bit out.

“Then maybe you should try meditating a bit,” the blond snapped. “If it’s not your lack of skill that’s the problem, then it’s your _obvious_ lack of patience!”

“I do not-!” Dipper started, then paused abruptly. Once he actually stopped to think about it… “Okay, maybe I am just a bit impatient,” he amended, trying to diffuse the situation. “Teach me to meditate then.”

William snorted scornfully. “I’m certainly not going to start _today_ ,” he muttered, tearing his gaze from Dipper’s. “The shack is going to open soon, and I’m the one running the register this morning.”

Dipper opted to bite his tongue instead of lashing out. “Tomorrow, then?” he asked hopefully.

“Maybe,” the elder teen allowed, turning and heading in the direction of the shack.

They’d gone far enough into the woods for the trek to take about half an hour, Dipper using the time to think and observe the area around them. The woods had been deathly silent for most of the morning while they’d been practicing, but according to Will, they had been safe from any of the night creatures.

 _Midnight,_ he thought, looking around for any signs of magical creatures. _The worst come out around midnight, and stick around until one. That’s why it’s called the witching hour...because most magical things are out and about then._

“Stan told me last night that he saw smoke in the woods again,” Will commented absentmindedly as they approached the shack. “Do you want to investigate on our lunch break?”

“Sure,” Dipper agreed, a new wave of enthusiasm flowing over him at the thought of returning to their forest investigation. They’d been focusing on magic so much lately that the woods and mystery hunts had been all but abandoned, and Dipper found that he was really looking forward to returning to them.

They parted ways once they reached the interior of the gift shop, Will taking up a bored stance at the register, and Dipper disappearing inside for breakfast. Both of the Stans were enjoying a cup of coffee with their breakfast, and Mabel had yet to be spotted. She was most likely taking advantage of Dipper not being there for his alarm to wake her and sleeping in.

“Good morning,” Dipper greeted, going over to the coffee pot and preparing himself a cup.

“Morning,” Stanley replied, his tone carefully neutral. “How was practice?”

Dipper gingerly took a small sip of his piping hot coffee. “It could have gone better,” he replied after a moment, setting the cup down on the counter. “I tried to make an air twister and apparently almost killed myself.”

Grunkle Stan snorted derisively. “Nice going. How’d you manage that?”

Dipper shrugged. “I guess I tried rushing the magic?” he answered, still mildly confused about the concept. “That’s what Will told me, anyway.”

A heavy silence settled over the table at his words, until finally, Stanley spoke up. “He’s not wrong,” he pointed out grimly, taking a long swig of his coffee. “Ford, go help Will run the shop. I’m going to explain some things about magic that Dipper clearly doesn’t understand.”

Grunkle Stan nodded, then hastily made his exit. Dipper took his spot upon the silent command from Stanley, and he only had to wait a moment before his grandfather began to speak.

“You’ve been listening carefully to William’s instruction, right?” Stanley asked, his guarded facade slipping to show concern.

“Yes,” Dipper grumbled, his gaze falling down to his half-empty coffee. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it couldn’t be called a lie either.

“Magic is a finicky thing to deal with,” his grandfather continued. “If you’re not careful with it, you’ll end up hurting yourself.”

“Will already told me this,” Dipper commented boredly, picking up his spoon and opting to stir his coffee around idly.

“And you obviously need to be told again if it hasn’t sunk in already!” Stanley snapped, his voice rising an octave. “If you can come in here and try to tell me that you almost killed yourself while attempting to make a simple air cyclone, then you clearly haven’t been listening closely enough!”

“I’ve been told I need to work on having more patience,” Dipper commented, allowing his mind to wander. He wasn’t really in the mood to be lectured, and really wanted nothing more than for lunch to arrive so he could retreat into the woods with Will.

Stanley exhaled slowly, trying and failing to conceal his frustration. “Patience might be a good thing to have, Dipper. Magic is dangerous enough already, without you trying to fuck everything up with trying to rush into everything. That strategy has never worked for you.”

“It has a couple of times,” Dipper protested weakly, finishing his coffee. “What about the Society of the Blind Eye? I helped a lot of people by rushing into that.”

“Remember Mabel’s puppet play?” Stanley countered, an eyebrow lifting in amusement. “Or the supposed Gobblewonker you went after? Or when Ford was trying to save me from the other dimension?”

“...I hate puppets,” Dipper grumbled after a moment. “And those were secluded incidents. I’ve gotten a lot better since I was a kid!”

“My point stands,” Stanley dismissed. “You need to be a lot more careful, Dipper. When you use magic, you’re taking energy from your own body. Moving slowly with it like you had been gave your body a chance to at least recover some of the energy while you were working so you wouldn’t collapse from exhaustion. Speeding up any magic process without having the energy to do so takes more than your body has, or can reproduce at any given rate. Thus, it could kill you.”

“Couldn’t an energy shot just help then?” Dipper questioned, annoyed that he hadn’t thought of that before. “It’ll give me more energy, and enough to easily create an air cyclone in seconds!”

“Wrong kind of energy,” Stanley answered with a small chuckle. “Since you can harness magic, and have tapped into it, your body can produce two types of energy – there’s your normal labor energy that your body uses as a failsafe, and your supernatural energy which can’t be altered or used by your normal energy. That begins to grow once you tap into that energy, and performing small spells increases the amount of supernatural energy your body can produce and hold.”

Dipper’s eyes widened marginally in amazement. “That makes so much sense,” he breathed, excitement betraying the professional tone he’d wanted to use. He got up and poured himself another cup of coffee, even though it was beginning to cool. “Will never explained energy to me, and certainly not in nearly that many details,” he commented as he rejoined his grandfather at the table.

Stanley scowled, an eye twitching in irritation. “He should have,” he grumbled, finishing his cup of coffee.

“It’s my fault,” Dipper lied quickly, not wanting his grandfather to place all the blame on Will. Even if it was technically the blonde’s fault, it wouldn’t feel right. “I told Will that I did my research and everything properly, so that he wouldn’t have to explain anything to me. I guess I just forgot about the physical aspect of using magic.”

His grandfather regarded him for a long moment, in which he shifted uneasily in his chair and refused to meet Stanley’s gaze. “Very well then,” Stanley commented offhandedly. “So, care to tell me about what else you’ve been doing with William?”

Dipper choked on the sip of coffee he’d been taking, coughing and gasping for air. After several moments of switching between the two, he found that he could breathe normally again. “We’re not doing anything,” he spluttered, his face turning red.

“That’s not what the party said last weekend!” Mabel’s voice rang cheerfully from the hallway. She skipped into the kitchen moments later, pausing for only a moment to give Stanley and Dipper a quick kiss on the cheek before continuing toward the fridge.

“We’re really not,” Dipper protested, ducking his head down in embarrassment. “That was just a dance.”

Stanley laughed then, the rich sound making something warm inside of Dipper stir. It had been so long since he’d heard his grandfather sound so carefree, and it almost made his public humiliation worth it. “Kid, I wasn’t talking about anything specific. It’s nice to know that you’ve both been fucking around under our noses though.”

“We have not!” Dipper objected as Mabel cackled. “I swear!” His protests were futile though, because they only served to make it seem like he was lying about it.

“Suuuure,” Mabel teased, drawing out the word way longer than necessary. “It’s okay to admit it Dipdop, really, it is.”

“He’s just been teaching me some more about the creatures in the woods,” Dipper insisted stubbornly, half-heartedly glaring at Mabel.

“Mmhmm,” his twin hummed, a knowing look in her eyes as she nodded slowly. “Of course it is, just like it was two weeks ago when-”

“Just give it a rest!” Dipper snapped, the image of his father’s red face flashing in front of his vision for a brief moment. “There’s nothing like that going on between us, and you should know that better than anyone else!”

A grim silence resonated throughout the room after his outburst, tension crackling in the air with every deep breath Dipper took. He lifted his hands instinctively to check for flames, and was surprised to find that there were none.

“Dipper, I-”

“Save it,” Dipper cut in, standing. For once, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with his sister apologizing for getting on his nerves, especially when she knew the topic was a sensitive one for him already. “I’m going to go stock the gift shop. Leave me be.”

He stalked to the door, then hesitated. As an afterthought, he walked back over to the fridge and grabbed some food, then exited the kitchen without waiting to see if Mabel or Stanley would say anything.

 _This does not prove her right,_ Dipper told himself firmly as he made his way to the gift shop. _Will and I have been up for hours, and he hasn’t had any breakfast. It only makes sense that I bring him some._

He walked into the gift shop, glad for once that the door was silent. Will was staring down at the counter intently, his arm curved around to conceal whatever it was he was working on. The only thing that clued Dipper in to the fact that the blond was sketching was his arm jerking every once in a while.

“This is yours,” Dipper announced, setting the food down in front of William.

Will jumped, his focused gaze shooting up to Dipper. “Thanks,” he murmured, smiling warmly.

Dipper didn’t return the smile, instead choosing to head to the storage room. “You’re in charge of tours,” he told Grunkle Stan the moment he stepped into the small room.

“You’re supposed to be off today,” Stanford told him firmly. “Go back inside the house before I fire you or something.”

“I’m volunteering,” Dipper retorted through gritted teeth. “So let me stock the gift shop.”

An eyebrow lifted skeptically. “Okay,” Grunkle Stan finally allowed, setting down the box he’d been holding. “You can volunteer until lunch. Don’t forget, you’re closing the register tonight.”

Dipper nodded his thanks and moved forward to change places with his great uncle. He contemplated asking what time his shift was supposed to start, but decided against it. After all, he should know if he was to eventually run the Shack.

He picked up the box, then turned to find that Grunkle Stan was still in the storage room, studying him intently. “What?”

“You seem disturbed,” Stanford observed calmly. “More so than usual, anyway. Cipher been giving you trouble?”

Dipper paused for a moment to stare, then responded. “Cipher hasn’t been saying a word to me, actually. I’m starting to think something’s wrong with him.”

Grunkle Stan snorted. “Okay, so I know you can’t be _that_ concerned over the demon. It’s something else then. Is it going to affect your work?”

“No,” Dipper replied mechanically. The constant lecturing and questioning was beginning to get on his nerves, and he found it harder to resist the urge to completely snap the longer it went on.

“Alright then,” Stanford finished, turning to leave. “As long as you can still work fine, it won’t be a problem. Remember, no hanky panky under my roof. I might be gone on tours all morning, but that does not mean-“

“I get it,” Dipper ground out, glaring at his great uncle. He shouldered his way past the elder man and immediately set to work on stocking, allowing the long process to clear his mind. About half an hour into his work, the first tour of the day began.

“Is everything okay?” William ventured cautiously, still scribbling on the same piece of paper he’d been earlier. “Aside from practice this morning, you seem edgy.”

“I’m fine,” Dipper exhaled, an eye twitching in aggravation.

“You sure? Cause I mean, you’re-“

“I said I’m fine!” Dipper snapped. “What part of that don’t you get?!” He finished with the box he’d been working on and retreated back to the storage room, kicking the door shut angrily behind him.

A moment later, it slammed back open.

“What’s your fucking problem?” William seethed, his eye flashing in anger. “First you snap at your sister – and yes, she told me about that – then at Stanford, and now me? What stick got shoved up your ass?”

“What’s _your_ problem?” Dipper shot back, turning to face the elder teen. “You have a job, you’re kind of supposed to be doing it right now.”

“ _I_ don’t have a problem,” the blond emphasized angrily, his eye narrowing. “ _You,_ on the other hand, apparently do. You’re acting like a major jackass to everyone today, and I didn’t think men could PMS, but apparently-“

Dipper laughed, the sound almost hysterical. “And there it is,” he interrupted. “Everyone keeps getting into my business and demanding to know what my fucking problem is. I’m perfectly fine!”

“Clearly, you’re “fucking” not!” William argued, walking forward until he was directly in front of Dipper, standing a little too close for comfort. The younger looked down, not wanting his eyes to wander and betray him. “You have some sort of problem going on in your stupid little mind, and you need to spit it out already because it’s affecting the moods of everyone else!” Dipper gripped tightly at the box he was holding, unsuccessfully trying to keep his thoughts in.

“You know what? Maybe my _fucking problem_ is all this!” He shouted, dropping the empty box and gesturing around them wildly.

The elder teen paused, his expression growing confused. “The _shop_ is your problem?” he questioned doubtfully. “Then why are you here?”

Dipper made a frustrated noise that sounded like a mix between a shriek and a snarl. Before his mind could properly register what he was doing, he threaded a hand through William’s hair and pulled the blond down to kiss him.

It wasn’t anything like its few predecessors, all soft and sweet. It was coarse and harsh and laced with anger. Dipper moved his free hand to Will’s shirt, clenching his fist around the fabric to pull the blond closer. He felt the other move into action, gripping at his waist as he fumbled for balance.

Dipper grazed his teeth against Will’s lower lip, then broke their embrace completely, pushing the teen back a few steps. _“This,”_ he reiterated in a husky tone, gesturing at the space between them. “This is my fucking problem, Will. I can’t... I don’t _want_ a relationship with you, but at the exact same time I want nothing more than to kiss you senseless.”

William blinked a few times, trying to process what had just happened. “Then why do-“

“We should get back to the shop,” Dipper cut in brusquely, picking up a box and shouldering his way past the dazed blond. “Preferably _before_ Stan gets back with the last tour and notices us both gone.” He left the other’s presence before another word could be said, dropping the subject altogether.

Dipper focused his attention on restocking for the next several minutes, easily ignoring the sound of tourists coming and going, and William’s loud chatter and occasional laughter. He assumed that the blond kept scribbling in the moments that the shop was empty, and he could occasionally hear the elder teen humming a tune. It continued on like that for the greater part of the morning, Will engaging only with the tourists and Dipper mentally trying to sort out his thoughts and emotions.

After a few hours of tense silence, William finally broke it by declaring that the silence was killing him, and Dipper mentally had to agree. They managed to make small talk about the town and discussed theories on the forest rituals, avoiding all mention of what had gone down earlier. Finally, it was time for Will’s lunch. Time to investigate.

“Let’s get going!” Dipper started onward onto the path, eager to get moving and leave the morning’s episode behind them.

“I only have thirty minutes,” William warned as they headed into the forest. “So we’re going to have to pinpoint the location and look around quickly.”

“That shouldn’t be _too_ much of a problem though, right?” Dipper questioned curiously, running ahead.

William easily matched his quick pace. “That depends,” he replied in a louder tone as they darted in between trees and bushes. “There’s no telling what magical creatures might be out and about right now, not to mention that this magical presence can’t be detected nor traced.”

Dipper sighed impatiently. “God, this is such a drag!” he ranted, drawing back to let the elder teen take the lead. “How the fuck are we supposed to keep up with these guys if they can’t be traced?”

“I think they’re onto us,” William admitted, slowing to a walk.

“What makes you say that?” Dipper asked, following the blonde’s lead.

“They can’t be traced,” the elder teen explained. “I mean, they obviously know exactly what they’re doing, to start. They shouldn’t be able to be traced anyway, if they’re the slightest bit competent. That’s not the point though...it’s this kind of gut feeling I have. I don’t know who they are or what they’re trying to do, but they know what we’re doing.”

They fell into a tense silence for a few minutes, allowing Dipper to think over the situation. One of the things they hadn’t done yet was make a list of possible suspects, and he was beginning to think that it was high-time they did so.

“The air is thicker over here,” Dipper observed, pausing beside a small rivulet of water. “It’s filled with tension, like it was the last time. Plus, the creatures are silent again, and I’m pretty sure it’s not Bill’s influence this time.”

“I can feel the air,” William replied slowly, stopping beside Dipper. “It’s weird, though. This is almost the exact opposite direction from the other sacrifice.”

Dipper could see the elder’s teen muscles grow tenser the longer he ranted about the possibilities, and he could sympathize. These woods were Will’s domain, and Dipper knew that he would be bothered if he couldn’t protect them either.

“They’re playing with us,” Dipper finally realized, resisting the urge to laugh out of frustration. “You’re right, they know exactly what we’ve been up to.” He ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes briefly. “What should we do about it?”

Will sighed, gazing up at the sky through gaps in the trees. “Nothing, for now,” he answered slowly. “I only have a thirty, and I’m pretty sure we’ll have gone well past that by the time we get back. We’ve gone in deeper than I meant to.”

“Got it,” Dipper nodded, turning back and heading in the direction he was sure the Mystery Shack was in. “Though, I don’t think you’d be in that much trouble. If anything, Mabel would probably cover for you until we got back.”

The blond shook his head. “I wouldn’t want her to,” he commented. “It’s best that I stay out of trouble, especially given that-“ He cut himself off, shaking his head slightly. “At any rate, it’s probably best that we get back as quickly as possible.”

“What were you going to say?” Dipper asked curiously as they slowly made their way back home.

“It’s nothing,” William dismissed casually, waving his hand as if it would make the topic go away. “My turn for a question – why did you kiss me earlier?”

Dipper sighed, turning his face away so the blond wouldn’t see the blush on his cheeks. _Great. This._ “I told you that after I kissed you,” he mumbled.

“ _No_ ,” William emphasized, and Dipper didn’t need to look to know that the elder teen was grinning. “You told me that _I_ was your “big fucking problem”. More or less.”

“I’m…. _frustrated_ , okay?” Dipper finally bit out, gritting his teeth in embarrassment. “Being around you all the time is driving me absolutely crazy, and it’s like I said this morning - half the time I just want to kiss you, and the rest of the time I’m hating myself for wanting that.”

“Why not just do it then?” William tried to rationalize, and Dipper could hear the genuine confusion in his tone. “You keep holding back from letting yourself have this, and I don’t understand. I’m not too worried about our friendship changing dramatically or it becoming awkward, so I don’t see why you are. There’s something you’re not saying.”

“Drop the subject,” Dipper uttered shortly, striding ahead so he wouldn’t have to look at the elder teen. “I have my position on the matter, and I won’t change it.”

 _“Why?”_ Will pressed, keeping up with him easily.

Dipper screwed his eyes shut, unwilling to answer the question. Flashes of a memory played out in front of him, forcing him to recall little details that he could have sworn he’d locked away a long time ago.

He could almost hear the breathless little giggles, see the books that had been carelessly pushed to the side. It was almost as if the memory had become a movie.

 _Wait,_ he thought suddenly, stopping in his tracks. _Movie…_ The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. _Cipher, I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, but you better knock it off right now._

 _I’m bored, Piney,_ Cipher replied, pausing the memory he’d been going through. _Your brain is entertaining._

 _You can look at other things,_ Dipper allowed, regretting the words almost the second he thought them. _But leave those specific memories alone._

 _You know…_ Cipher mused after a few minutes of nothing in his head changing. _It’s not a good thing to forget. Sometimes it can be, but not always._

Dipper shook his head, darting forward to catch up to William. _I can assure you, I meant to forget that. If you can’t respect my wishes, then get out of my head. The privacy would be nice to have, for a change._

Surprisingly enough, the demon fell silent again, and the barrage of memories seemed to stop for the time being. William had also fallen into a sulky silence, leaving Dipper a moment of peace.

They finally made it back to the shack, miraculously less late than they thought they would be. William took Grunkle Stan’s place at the head of tours, and Dipper took the blonde’s previous post at the register.

For once, he wished the afternoon shift could be busier on the weekdays. Maybe a full room would take his mind off of things. Instead, it was almost as quiet as the morning had been, tourists only breaking the silence every once in a rare blue.

Color suddenly flared in front of his vision, disappearing the second Dipper blinked. He set down the book he’d been reading, a confused expression briefly passing over his features.

“The hell?” he pondered curiously, experimentally closing his eyes again. More colors flashed before him, and he could vaguely begin to make out shapes and sounds amid the small chaos.

Once more he opened his eyes, but the images were still there, blending in with the surroundings of the real world. Thankful that the shop was empty for the moment, he closed his eyes yet again in an attempt to make sense of what was going on. He heard his name being spoken, heard himself reply even though he didn’t actually say anything, and then he _knew_.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he hissed, eyes flashing open. Cipher was choosing _now_ to go nitpicking through his brain? He looked around the shop carefully, finding it harder to distinguish reality from memory when there were voices constantly whispering in his mind that weren’t real.

 _They’re real,_ Dipper thought grimly, mentally debating on whether he should pursue Bill or not. _Just not current._

Two memory shifts and a few minutes of Dipper trying to deal with both the memories and a shack half full of tourists passed by, and by then he was positive that he’d go insane if he had to endure much more. The second the shop was empty again, he pulled out his phone and shot a quick text to Mabel.

_Cipher’s going through my brain. I’m going to go after him, take over the shop._

Instead of waiting for a reply like just about everybody else would have done, he checked once more to make sure that there was nobody in the shop, then bolted.

 _This should be simple,_ he thought as he ran up to his and Mabel’s room. _I just need to make myself fall asleep or something, and then I should wake up in the mindscape. It’s how it’s always worked before, anyway, so it shouldn’t be any different now._

Actually falling asleep was easier said than done though, and Dipper found himself tossing and turning for several minutes before he finally decided that falling asleep by normal means wasn’t going to be enough and resorted to testing out a new spell.

 _I probably should have asked William to actually cast the spell…_ he thought absentmindedly as his eyelids grew heavier. _For all I know, I’ve just sent myself to my death…_

When his eyes next opened, he wasn’t in his bedroom. The world around him was faded into an infinite number of grey colors, his body the only ray of light to be seen. He was standing in what looked almost like a library of sorts, bookshelves all around that just barely towered over him.

 _And yet,_ he mused, taking in his surroundings, _this isn’t the mindscape I’m used to seeing. Where am I?_

“You know, sometimes I forget how stupid you meatsacks tend to be!” Cipher’s voice echoed cheerfully from somewhere within. “We’re in your head, kid!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what I'm more pissed about, to be honest - the fact that this original chapter got so long that I had to split it, or the fact that I could have decided to split it hours ago and had this stupid thing posted - especially because where I ended it, I'd gotten written down either on Wednesday or Thursday. 
> 
> On a brighter note, the next chapter is almost done ^^ Be prepared - it's a rollercoaster ride.
> 
> I did something new today and added a co-author to this story, the lovely Prettykitty473. She is my sister and has been my beta throughout 95% of this fic, and loves and critiques every thing I write ^^ I've been saying for ages that I'd make her an official co-author on this thing, so now I've finally done it.
> 
> On a major downer, I have to be up for an eight hour shift in roughly two hours at the very latest and I haven't gotten a wink of sleep yet. Such is the life of a writer!
> 
> Welcome to Saturday, my dear readers, and a belated happy birthday to the wonderful and talented fearmyboxers. Without her, my life would be filled with a few less laughs and smiles, and Ele's streams would have much less Deerper!porn. I hope your birthday was everything you wanted it to be, and I'm sorry this is coming to you so late ^^


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note: this chapter contains a trigger warning for mentions of cutting and desired suicide, Dipper's father being a general jackass and homophobe (though, he's not really afraid??? Just very condescending???)
> 
> Another major note I should have addressed awhile back - In this, Stanford is still the one the twins have been staying with all summer and is their great uncle as they thought they knew, and Stanley is their grandfather (not great uncle - sorry Shermy, you're dead to me). Sorry if you guys want me to change that, but it's close to sixty thousand words I'd have to comb over to change it, and quite frankly, it took me hours yesterday to find instances of Bill cursing.
> 
> Either way - virtual cookies to anyone that can spot the cameo I stuck in here ;)

“We’re in my mind? This can’t...I’ve never been here before,” Dipper said, beginning to wander around. The longer he walked, the more he began to realize that the room was less of a room, and more like a maze.

_I’m in a labyrinth of books,_ he realized, his eyes lighting up in delight. He trailed his fingertips along some of the spines as he walked. It was almost all too easy to forget the reason he was here, and the only reminder he got was the demon’s high pitched voice jarring him out of his thoughts.

“This is your _true_ mindscape, kid. The little meadow you’ve always gone to in your dream is nothing more than what you imagined it to be. Here, your dreams and thoughts and memories are all stored.”

“Memories…” Dipper muttered, his eyes widening slightly. “Memories….he was going through them.” He started walking faster, determined to find the demon before he managed to uncover something Dipper didn’t want him seeing.

“Good luck trying to find me, kid!”

Memories suddenly started to play out in front of Dipper, the colors and sounds amplified a tenfold now that he was in the mindscape. He saw some memories from the last month intermingling and blending with ones from his early childhood, both working toward some point that Bill seemed to be trying to find.

His heart nearly stopped when he realized what the demon was looking for. “Bill, stop!”

“I’d rather not,” Bill voice sounded, closer than it had been the last time. “I’ve spent ages in this mind of yours, and not once have I messed around in here to find out what makes you tick. I think it’s high time I did!”

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Dipper shouted desperately, beginning to run through the maze of bookshelves. Where was he?!

_"_ _̀_ _A_ _̶͟͞_ _n_ _͢͝_ _d_ _̸̢_ _͏_ _y_ _̸_ _ou_ _̸̧͜_ _͟͡_ _t_ _͟͞_ _h_ _̀_ _i_ _̸͟͜_ _n_ _̴_ _k_ _̢_ _̵̀_ _y_ _͜͞_ _o_ _͘͟_ _u_ _̢_ _͏_ _d_ _̸̴͡_ _o_ _̴̴̕_ _?_ _̧_ _”*_ Cipher taunted, his voice amplifying. Dipper could hear traces of anger in the demon’s tone, and it was almost enough to make him stop. “I tried to be nice to you Piney, and you repay that kindness by telling me that I give you no privacy?”

“You’re always butting into my business!” Dipper snapped furiously. “If you’re not poking into my thoughts and trying to tell me what to do, you’re always off messing with me some other way! I think I liked you better when you were giving me the silent treatment!”

“You’re not making any sense.” Bill Cipher was suddenly hovering in front of him, his form glowing a bright red. “We have a deal, Pine Tree, that I get to inhabit your mind. That means that I’m allowed to know _everything_ that goes on in here. Past memories included.”

“Well change the deal!” Dipper yelled, clenching his fists.

Bill summoned a large book that had a broken leather lock on it and held it up triumphantly. “I gotta say Piney, I’m kind of happy you’re here to see this! Looking through your most private memories on my own was entertaining enough, but the expression on your face is gonna make it so much better!”

“Not that one,” Dipper breathed, his face turning pale. Somehow he knew exactly which memory the demon had picked out, and the thought of having to relive it made him want to die. He reached out to take the book, but Bill pulled it out of his grasp before he could grab it.

“I should have done this a long time ago!” Bill sneered. “‘Who knew that a stupid little memory would be enough to reduce you to a pathetic whimpering mess?”

“Get out of my head,” Dipper demanded shakily. “Before I make you.”

“Not going to happen!” Cipher replied cheerfully, opening the book.

At first, Dipper could only hear the soft tune of classical music that had filled his room that day, the colors not yet blurring into focus. After what seemed like forever, Dipper could finally see himself and another boy casually lounging on his bed, reading from their English textbooks.

“Cipher, stop,” he whispered, his voice cracking. Now that the memory was playing before him, he could recall every detail he’d once committed himself to losing.

_“So, I’ve got a theory,” Wright commented, running a hand through his straight brown hair as he closed his book. “And I was thinking...you’re the kind of person that likes testing theories.”_

_“Normally,” Dipper replied, sitting up. “I guess it depends on the type of theory you’re talking about.”_

“Bill, stop.”

“I don’t think I will!” the demon exclaimed gleefully. “Something happened to turn you into the pathetic mess you are today, and I’m thinking that this is the thing that did it!”

_“You know my….status,” the younger teen continued nervously, a blush creeping across his face. “And...I think I know yours.”_

_“Something tells me we’re not talking about social media here,” Dipper said slowly. “Care to elaborate?”_

“Bill, I mean it.” Dipper wanted to snatch the book away from the demon when he wasn’t paying attention, but the memory kept him rooted to the spot he was in.

_“I’m gay,” Wright blurted out, fidgeting. He lowered his gaze, his blush growing darker. “And there’s been this...theory going around that gay people can tell if someone else is gay by the way they kiss.”_

_Dipper paused for a long moment, letting the full weight of Wright’s unasked question sink in. Suddenly, the younger teen’s nervous fidgeting and red face made more sense than just about anything else in the world._

_‘I knew something was off when he asked me to help him with Old English poetry,’ Dipper mused. ‘He’s always gotten better marks than anyone else in that subject…’ His eyes skimmed over Wright’s posture, and he noticed that the younger teen was avoiding his gaze. ‘He likes me,’ Dipper thought gleefully, a slow grin spreading across his face. ‘And this was his way of asking me out.’_

_“Has there?” Dipper questioned, wiping the grin off of his face before Wright could see. “That’s a pretty interesting theory.”_

_Wright glanced up at him then, his expression unguarded and blatantly insecure. “You wouldn’t maybe want to…?”_

_“I’d love to test it,” Dipper breathed, grinning. He closed his own English book and pushed it to the side._

_“Uhm…” the younger teen started awkwardly, letting the thought trail. “So, do you wanna, or…?”_

_“I’ll do it,” Dipper answered, leaning in. “After all, this is all in theory and since you’re the one that proposed it…”_

_He brushed his lips against the younger teen’s, awkwardly pulling back a moment later and blushing. “Does that answer the theory?”_

_Wright smiled shyly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind Dipper’s ear. “You know, some would say that that can’t constitute as a kiss. In theory, of course.”_

_“And yet….” Dipper exhaled, laughing breathlessly in amusement. “What makes up the rules that define what a kiss can or cannot be?”_

_“I’d say the two people in question,” Wright replied, slipping a hand into Dipper’s hair and pulling him in for another._

_Kissing another boy wasn’t something that Dipper ever thought he’d do, but he was glad that he’d decided to try. Wright’s lips were firm and cool against his, so unlike any girl’s had ever been and Dipper found himself craving more. Suddenly feeling bold, he traced his tongue along the younger teen’s lower lip, asking for permission. Wright granted it, parting his lips ever so slightly and returning the gesture._

_Dipper finally pulled away after a couple more minutes, his breathing heavier than it had been. “And now?” he questioned huskily._

_“The theory’s inconclusive,” Wright responded, grinning. His breathing was just as ragged as Dipper’s, and his previously red cheeks had turned scarlet. “I think further testing is required.”_

_“I agree,” Dipper breathed, grinning back. “Though, a small break might be nice so the test subjects in question can catch their breath.”_

_“Not necessarily,” Wright murmured, the hand not buried in Dipper’s hair skimming down his chest. A millisecond passed, and then the hand was grasping the fabric of Dipper’s shirt and tugging gently. “May I?”_

_Dipper nodded his permission and Wright eagerly tugged the bottom of his shirt up just enough for him to slip his other hand under it and trace his fingernails across Dipper’s skin teasingly._

_Dipper bit his lip to hold back a small moan of encouragement, his hands moving to rest on the younger teen’s shoulders. “This isn’t helping the loss of breath issue,” he mumbled, blushing._

_“Wasn’t meant to,” Wright replied huskily, capturing Dipper’s lips in another kiss as his hands explored Dipper’s chest and back. The kiss only lasted a moment before the younger teen began trailing kisses down Dipper’s jawline, the nails on his skin scraping just a bit harder._

_“We really should move,” Dipper observed breathlessly, resisting the urge to arch into Wright’s touch. “The way we’re sitting is kind of awkward. It makes it harder to test the theory, anyway.”_

_“Way I see it, the theory’s being tested perfectly fine right now,” Wright breathed against his neck, pressing his lips to the hypersensitive skin._

_Dipper stifled a gasp, his eyes sliding closed in ecstasy. “I-it’s not at its full potential though,” he stuttered._

_“If you insist upon it,” Wright finally murmured, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Then move.”_

“Bill-” At some point while the memory had been playing out in front of Dipper’s vision, he’d unconsciously sat down on the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest, cradling his head in the dark space the action provided. No matter how dark though, no matter how tightly he tried to screw his eyes shut, the memory persisted. “Please...I’m sorry I said that, just _please_ , make it stop.”

“Nope.” The demon’s reply was calm, amusement laced throughout his tone. “You are _mine_ , Pine Tree, in body and mind and right now, I’m enjoying the show.”

Dipper choked out a sob he hadn’t known he’d been holding back. “ _Please_ ,” he begged, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. He looked up at the demon, trying his best to maintain a shred of composure. “I’ll make a deal with you, do anything you want…..just make it stop.”

“Anything?” Cipher mused curiously, and for the moment, the memory paused. “That’s almost tempting, Piney...but, no can do. Your reactions are intriguing, and there has to be some reason that this memory is triggering you like this. I want to know why, and you won’t ever tell me anything, so you’ve left me no choice in the matter. Respecting your privacy- as you claim I haven’t done- hasn’t gotten me anywhere. And besides - this is so much fun!” He resumed the memory, drowning out Dipper’s weak declaration of hatred, the teen’s face buried in his arms once more.

_Dipper carefully settled himself onto Wright's lap, laying his hands on the younger teen's shoulders in an attempt to stay balanced. "Is this good?" he asked nervously, his heart racing in a mix of anticipation and excitement._

_“This is perfect,”_ _Wright replied huskily, leaning forward and capturing Dipper’s lower lip gently in between his teeth as his hands threaded through Dipper’s hair. The younger teen grinned, then kissed Dipper for a brief moment. “I think you were right about the theory being easier to test this way.”_

_Dipper pressed a small kiss to the corner of Wright’s mouth like the younger teen had done to him earlier, slowly trailing kisses downward until he reached the spot where Wright’s neck and shoulder connected. There, he paused for a moment before testing the water and biting down._

_“Fuck!” Wright gasped out, arching into Dipper and moving his head to allow the brunet access to more of his skin. Dipper took advantage of the offering and continued to trail hot kisses along the younger teen’s neck, pausing to occasionally bite down and relish in the noises Wright was making._

_He finally paused in his assault on the younger teen’s skin after what seemed like forever and took a few moments to breathe, noting with satisfaction that Wright was more affected than he’d originally intended._

_“Has the theory reached a conclusion?” Dipper murmured through soft gasps, running a shaky hand through his hair and gazing directly into the younger teen’s eyes._

_“I-I think it’s fairly safe to say it has,” Wright stuttered, looking away from Dipper and blushing. “You, my friend, are most definitely gay.”_

_Dipper giggled breathlessly, and the younger teen joined in a moment later. “I kind of figured that,” he breathed, grinning shyly._

_He traced a finger up one of Wright's arms slowly. "I like seeing your face, though," he said softly, moving his hand to press it against the younger teen's cheek. "You don't need to hide from me."_

_Wright turned to face him again, and Dipper bit his lip at the look of vulnerability that reflected in his eyes. He knew that look too well, and didn't like the way it looked on Wright. "It's not hiding," the younger teen meekly defended. "I just...I'm just wondering what you're thinking."_

_"Seems like hiding to me," Dipper murmured, leaning in and brushing his lips against Wright's cheek. "But I understand. I'm....kind of blown by all of this, to be honest. What are you thinking?"_

_"That I want to do this again sometime," Wright blurted out, his gaze flickering up to meet Dipper's for a brief moment. "I-I mean, if that's okay with you of course."_

_“I’m thinking that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Dipper responded, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on the younger teen’s lips. “To be honest,” he whispered when he pulled away a moment later, “I’ve been thinking of how soon we could possibly see each other again. Sometime this week?”_

_Wright shook his head, a sad smile crossing over his features. “Tests,” he responded glumly. “And band practice. Maybe next weekend?”_

_“Sounds perfect,” Dipper told the younger teen softly, reaching forward and brushing a stray lock of hair back into place. “Does this mean you’ll need to go soon?”_

_“I probably should,” the younger teen replied, biting his lip nervously. “My mom didn’t give me a specific time to be back home, but….”_

_“I get it,” Dipper cut in, giving Wright a small smile to show that he wasn’t upset. “Now that I think about it, it’s a miracle that my parents have been gone for this long themselves.”_

_“They know I’m here though,” Wright pointed out, grinning back. “I’m pretty sure I told my mom that I was heading to the library after school today.”_

_“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Dipper finally reassured, shifting slightly. For a moment, he’d almost forgotten that he was still nestled in the younger teen’s lap...time to change that._

_“Wait.” Wright’s hand shot out to rest on Dipper’s arm, as if he’d sensed his intention to get off. “Not yet.”_

_Dipper grinned, pausing all movement. “You said you needed to go,” he said sweetly, feigning innocence._

_Wright scowled, but there were no traces of malice or anger in it. “You’re kind of addictive,” he admitted begrudgingly, his expression changing into a small smile. “Can I have one last kiss?”_

_“I never thought you’d ask,” Dipper replied lowly, leaning in and swiftly pressing his lips against Wright’s. This kiss stayed innocent, unlike many of its predecessors and Dipper had to fight the urge to kiss the younger teen again, even as he pulled away._

_“Now we can go,” Wright breathed, and Dipper took that as his cue to get off of him._

_Dipper helped Wright quickly gather his school things, and then they left the sanctuary of his room. He wasn’t too sure when it initially happened, but at some point, he wove his hand around Wright’s and curled their fingers together._

_‘I can get used to this,’ Dipper thought happily as they walked downstairs together, talking quietly and laughing._

_He stopped dead in his tracks when they made it down._

_Dipper’s father was standing in the hallway by the entrance to the living room, an irate expression on his face._

_“Hey dad,” Dipper greeted nervously, giving him a small wave. “Where’s mom?”_

_“She stayed behind at the school with Mabel,” he responded stoically. “How did the...studying go?”_

_“Pretty good!” Wright jumped in cheerfully. “Thank you for letting me come over Mr. Pines, I think Dipper might have saved my grade!”_

_Dipper caught the pointed glance his father made at their joined hands, and he quickly separated them with a small cough. “It went well,” he mumbled, reiterating what Wright had said. “It took a little while, but the concept finally sunk in.”_

_“I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past half hour,” Dipper’s father deadpanned._

_“My apologies sir,” Wright told him, flashing a small grin. “Studies tend to show that listening to music tends to help people retain information that they obtained while listening a lot better. I guess I must have had it on too loudly.”_

_His father opened his mouth to speak again, but Dipper beat him to it. “Wright’s mom would like him to be home soon,” he said quickly. “So we should really get going…”_

_“I can manage getting home,” Wright murmured lowly to Dipper as they walked to the living room. “Your dad seemed like he was upset, and I don’t want to make things worse.”_

_“There’s no helping that,” Dipper muttered darkly, looking back in the direction where his father was waiting. “Thanks for the consideration. See you tomorrow?”_

_“See you tomorrow,” Wright agreed cheerfully, giving Dipper a small wave before he left._

_Dipper waited until the younger teen was out of his line of sight before shutting the door, his insides filling with dread at the shitstorm that was sure to come._

_‘Maybe I can just retreat to my room and this will all blow over,’ he thought hopefully as he made his way back._

_“Dipper,_ we need to talk _.”_

_‘Or, maybe not….’_ _his mind finished with a sigh. He walked back to the living room and took a seat in the recliner, not yet allowing himself to relax. He couldn’t, not until he knew how bad it would get._

_“I don’t want that boy coming over here again,” Dipper’s father started, his gaze trained on the teen._

_‘And of course you don’t...’ Dipper thought dryly. He sighed in resignation, “okay then, whatever.”_

_“And I don’t want you going over to his house either,” his father continued, his tone unchanging._

_Dipper blinked in surprise, clenching his fists._ ‘That one’s new,’ _he thought, biting his lip. “That’s not fair,” he said calmly. “I can see why you wouldn’t want him over here, but you can’t dictate what I do outside of this house.”_

_“And you have to stay out here in the living room when you have friends over from now on,” his father continued on, as if he hadn’t heard Dipper’s protests._

_Dipper didn’t know which was worse, the fact that his father ignored him in the first place, or the fact that he was used to it._

_“Whatever,” he muttered, trying and failing to conceal his anger. “Can I go now?”_

_Dipper’s father gave him a pointed glare, and it was almost enough to make the teen shrink back into the cushion of the chair. “I’m not finished yet.”_

_“Continue then, by all means,” Dipper quipped, glaring back. He had to hold his ground. If he didn’t...his father would win. He couldn’t let that happen. Not again._

_There was a long pause from his father before he spoke again. “I know you weren’t really studying up there.”_

_Dipper forced his face blank, to avoid showing any fear. “You can’t prove anything.”_

_His father only glared harder at the teen, staring him down. Dipper finally dropped the gaze, shrinking back into the chair. “Let’s get one thing straight here,” he said slowly, as if Dipper were stupid._

_‘_ And here we go... _’ Dipper thought, swallowing nervously._

_“The rest of the country may have decided that it’s perfectly acceptable to be a fag,” his father stated in a low tone. “But let me tell you, boy, it’s not gonna happen under this roof.”_

_Dipper felt a pang at his chest at the words, but did all he could to keep from reacting. ‘_ Not here. Not in front of him. _’ He clenched his fists together, willing his emotions to not show through his words._

_“U-understood,” he finally managed to choke out, his voice catching._

_“Go to your room,” his father told him quietly, disgust evident in his tone. “I don’t want to see or hear you again until dinner time.”_

_Dipper nodded and quickly scrambled off the recliner, wasting no time in bolting out of the room._

The memory ended then, but not because that was the actual end of it. There was so much more to be seen, so much more that Dipper could remember now that the book had been opened. The question he longed to know the answer to though, was why Cipher had closed it.

He looked up with still-watery eyes to find that Bill was gazing at him intently. Azure fire burned at the demon’s fingertips (somehow the book remained undamaged) and his cheery golden color was now a bright, blazing red.

“P͠͠i̸͘ǹe ̸̶̧Tr̴e͘͘è.” Cipher’s voice had drastically changed from its annoying high pitch to a deep tone that held a menacing note in it. “W͡heŕ̀e̸̡̨̨͝w͡͠a̴̕͡s ̴͝S͏h́͠o̷̕o͢͡t̕͝i̷̡ǹ͡ģ̶͜͝S͟t̴a̛͞r͟?̶”*

“What?” The question only served to confuse the brunet further, momentarily making the tears stop running down his cheeks. “You...did you even - were you even watching? S-she wasn’t home.”

“Sh͉̠̳͝e̜̹̞͚̠̲̩̯͙̕s͈̹̙̪̖̣̙h͕̘̞o̭̺̪͝u̧͇͙l͚͎̫̼͓̫̪d̤͖̗̟ ̦̲h̙̝͞a̱ͅv̡e̖̹̜͚͉̘͘b̞̜e͖̰͍̥̝ḙ̯ṉ̞̘͇̬̠̣͢ͅt̺̠̰̣͇̯̪he̹̬̜r͍e͖̞̬̪ͅ,” Bill hissed loudly, the words echoing around Dipper in a scream. “Ṣ͕̜̮h̯͘͟ͅe̢̨͎̼̺̺̩̣͕̼͙͓͢͠ͅ s̼͓͖͜ͅh̙͚͞ͅo̶̷̙̦̹̦̰̺̣̤͠ų̳͎͢l̸̞̹ḑ̷̵̞̦̦̜̙͍̰̫ h̥͢a̵̞̙̱̩̬̬̳v͔̻̩̞ę̳ ̵̹̬̻̗̻̺͟ p̶͔̭ͅr̷̜̯ę̧͏̯̦͈v̶̖̻̹͚̥en̵̩̬̥t̨͓̠́e̗͓̘̳͢͡d̹̗ ̶̢͎̻̲͚͓̲̼̘̟̀i̹̣̘͖͍̯̲̖̕͢t̞͔̪!̸͇̳̯̕͡” *

“It’s no big deal,” Dipper muttered, his gaze transfixed on the red demon. Was it just him, or was Bill growing bigger?

“Í͞t ͜ÌS̴̡̀͝á̸͘͏bi͢͞g ͟de͡a͏l͏͏.͟͠ Y͏̴̼ͅo̢̧͍̩͕̰̱͖͚̲̯ú̢̦̠͚̯̹̕͜a͏͎͇͝r̡̙̳͉̻͚̯͕͜e͎͎̯͘ M̗̟̠̩͓̖̫̮̝͍̪͚̀͘I̧̢͇̻̙̼͞͠N̡̤̳̜̝̖̺͙̟̟̕̕͜Ę̶̡̛̺̳̫̙̠̞̞͔̯̲̪̩̹̀ Pì̦͙͎̼͖̲̜n̵͔̺͈̻̤̻̖̬͝e̢̠͉ T͍̹r̴̨̺̣e̗͈̱̥̩̠̣̕͡e̠̥͖͞͠!” Bill shouted. He was definitely growing bigger, Dipper decided as he shrank back against a bookcase nervously. “Y̨͏̨͜o̸̸̕ų̴̵̛̕̕ b̸̡͜͝e͢͡l̶̷̷ớ̴͡͡n҉̢͝g͏̸͏̴̸̢͞ t̶̛͠o̢͝ M̝͓͔̦̙͜͞Ę̙̹͙̫̠͖̲̮͟͠͠͝, ąn̸̡̕͘d ̷̧͞i̵͞͏f̵̨̨̢͟͠ t̨͡h̴͟͟͝a̷̵̡̧̕t҉̶̡̢̀͢ m̡͝͝e̸̷͜a̧͘͞҉͏ţ̷̷͡s̀́a̸̷c̡͝k ̸̧̛͘͜͠͡͡ţ̡̀͟h҉͏͘͝į͏n̕͝ḱ̨s͏̀̕͝͞͞͏ f҉̨͜o̷ŗ̨͘͜͜͡ e͜͠v̷̵̨̀͏ȩ́n ̷̷̴̧́̕͟͝͝ą̸̴̷̨͞ s͟͜͝e͢͏͘c̴͞ó͢ņ͏̧̕ḑ̵-” The demon cut himself off and opened up a black void in the middle of Dipper’s mindscape and flung the book inside, the ‘portal’vanishing right after. *

"̛̛́Wh̶at̢̛̀͠͝h̢͘a̸̧͏p͟͜p̡̛e̶ń̛͢e͢͞d͏̧̛̕ne͡x̵t?̶" Bill seethed, flying forward to hover inches away from Dipper’s face. "͡T͠el͝l͟ me r͢igh͝t҉ ǹo̸w ̴Pi͟ne Tree͠!̶”

“W-why not just bring the book back and see for yourself?” Dipper challenged weakly, his heart beating a million miles a minute against his ribcage.

 He vaguely wondered where the book had gone and if he could even remember any of what had happened himself. He wracked his brain and was surprised to find that he could recall every detail. So where had the memory vanished to, then?

“̴̸̷́͢Ì̴̵͘’m̡̨̕͟͢ t̸̢̨͠h̕̕͟͟ŕ̸̴͝o͜͜͜ú̀͝g̶̷̨͢h ͏̀́ẁ͢i͏̷̵̵̵t̶̵̢h̨̡͟͟͢͠͡ t̴͏̵̶h̵̛͝e ͘͡͏͏f̡̢̕͠u̸̸c̀́͟k̷̷̛͝͝i҉̸̕n͏̴̛͡g ͜҉̵̨̕͠b̧͘͢͞͝o͢o͢͜ḱ̵̨!” Bill snarled, his form flashing dangerously. "̷́͜I ͡͏̶͠w̶̸͜a̵n̵͜t ҉̵͝to̴͏̢͘ h̷͡͝ear͏͞  w͘h͢a̴t ̀haṕ͡͞p̵̀è̕n͜͡éd̵̢ ͢͞f̀͏r̶o̴m ͝͝y̢o̵u̵r͟  p͏a̸͝t̸́h̶e͏t̕ic̀ ̢͟͞w͡҉hi̵̡ny͘͞ sǫ̨͡ú̶ń̸͠ḑb͢͞҉ox͟, ̴͞͡ń̴͡o̵̢t̷͜ ş͢o̴m͢é̵͟ m҉͏e̷m̢̛ò͏r̵̕y̶͏!͟͞" *

Dipper flinched, averting his gaze. “Nothing really,” he mumbled, the words an obvious lie. He ignored that fact and attempted a grin that looked more like a grimace. “I’ve only ever heard you curse a couple of times before,” he tried joking. “Y-you must be really mad, h-huh?”

"̨̰̜̺͙̣̱̳̟̤A̴͔̺̟͙͉̱ṇ̛͇̩̺̖̟͙͜s̹̙̮͉͓̻̣̟w̬̬͇̥͢e͔͕̭̖͝ṟ̶̗̯̖̠̫̹̳́̀͝ ț͙̖̺͞͠h̦̱́̀͢è͎͔̬̱̱̟͉̘̣͙̺͟ q̧̱̼͙͔̖́u̜̹̟̠é̴̻̟͕͟s҉̪̟͚t̼͖̬̦̠̦̜i͖̝̲̤̮̘͎͉͟o͔̰͖̠͈̫͍ṋ̲!”

“I-” Dipper swallowed nervously, curling his hands into fists. “I cried like a fucking baby,” he finally muttered, cursing himself repeatedly in his mind. “That’s all.”

“L̴̛̀̀I͏̢̧͟͝A̶͡͝͡҉R͘͢͜͢҉!̴̧͘͜” Cipher hissed, grabbing Dipper’s chin roughly and forcing the teen to look up at him. "̧͠Ý̶o̢ų w̸̡̨ou͘l̀͝d̸̶́n'͜t͢ h̢́a͘͢v̵̡͝é̷̷͞b̢e͡en ̨so ̸͟à̧̕f̸f͝ectę͘d̷̛ b̵̀ý̷̛ t̢h̴͜ȩ̷̕͞ m̨̀é̕͝ḿo̴r̛y  ͏̛͜͜if̵̶ t͡ḩ̷̧a̢͜͞t̴̨́́̕ h̵a̶̸d͘͢ b́͟͞ee̶n̸̡ ͜͡i͘͏t͡.̀́̀ Q̷͠ųi̛͜t͜҉̶̢̛͝ h͡id̨̀i̵̷n̢͝g̵̴ th̀i̸͘n̨gs ͏̷̷fr͝o͢͢m ̷̶͞͏m͝e̴!”*

Dipper bit back a small cry, flinching again at the demon’s unusual harshness. “I-I don’t want to talk about it,”” he stuttered, closing his eyes to avoid looking into the murderous gaze of the demon. “J-just l-let me go.”

The mark on Dipper’s neck suddenly burned harshly and he screamed from the pain. "̧̀̕͝͝A̧͞n̷͢͞͡s̛̕͞͠͠w̧̨̛͝͠e͏͠r̸͏̵͡͡ t̸̨h́͘ȩ̷͢ q̢̨͡u̷̧̕͠e҉̀͟s̢̡̛̕͡t҉̷̸̨i̵̴͞o͘͞͡͝ń ̵̵͟͢͝k̢̨̢͝͏į̵͞d̴̡,̷̵̴̷̵̡̛͠ b̶̷̨̢ę͜f̵̴̢͜͠ờ͘r̸̷͠e̵҉̷͏͢  Í̸̢̢́̕͝ _m_ _͟͢_ _a_ _̧̕͢͜͟_ _k_ _̡͜͞_ _e_ _̨͘͟͝_ ̛͝͝ y̸̛͢͡o҉̵̵́͜u̸͞,͘͝"̴̛ Bill snarled. *

“Okay, _fine_!” Dipper finally cried, letting out a broken sob. He somehow managed to escape the demon’s grasp and backed away from him as quickly as possible, trying to get away before he got hurt again. “J-just s-stop. P-please.”

Something about his plea seemed to strike a chord in Bill, and the demon’s body color slowly changed from the bright red it had been to a much milder pink. Dipper pretended not to notice, the fear of what Bill would do to him if he didn’t speak overshadowing his relief that the demon seemed to be calming down.

“I-I really did cry a lot,” he murmured shakily a few minutes later, plastering his gaze down at his hands. “A-and I thought a lot of things. A-and….” he let the thought trail off, unclenching his left hand to stare at it. Thin white lines trailed across his palm from taking the razor apart that night, a much more prominent one marring his wrist.

“I wanted to kill myself that day,” he finally admitted quietly. “I almost attempted to. Just knowing how much control my father had, knowing that I would never be accepted for who I was, never allowed to just be me...” He trailed off, wondering for a brief moment why he was telling Bill all of this instead of pulling together some lie.

The second he felt a surprisingly gentle hand wrap around his and coax it into the open air, he understood. Despite the fact that Bill was a demon, he was someone who appeared to _care_ , someone who was willing to listen to what Dipper had to say. He needed this, he realized, as Bill silently examined his skin. Even if Cipher’s methods of extracting information were...somewhat freaky, to say the least, Dipper knew that whatever he said would remain between them.

"I thought these markings were from going through the woods and stumbling blindly into situations like you always do," Bill murmured quietly, tracing a finger over the scars on his hand. “I thought humans didn’t like pain.”

The demon’s golden color was returning more quickly now, and Dipper took that as a good sign. “The pain was hilarious at first,” he recalled hollowly, remembering the broken giggle that had escaped when the sting from destroying the razor had finally set in. “I thought that you were onto something until I tried cutting something on purpose. I-” His voice cracked then, and he paused for a moment to maintain what little composure he had somehow managed to pull together. “I dug the blade in too deep though. That kind of pain isn’t funny, and it didn’t make me feel as good as the cuts on my hand did.”

“Shooting Star didn’t do anything?” Bill’s hand moved over to Dipper’s wrist where the jagged line was, his tone turning low and dangerous.

“She didn’t know,” Dipper excused despondently, looking up and focusing his gaze on a stack of books that was piled a small ways away from a bookshelf. “I-I covered it up and didn’t tell her. The whole incident that day got brushed under the rug.”

“You belong to _me,_ Pine Tree.” Cipher stated plainly, grasping his wrist just a bit harder. "A̡ńd̀ _n_ _͢͡_ _o_ _̸_ _b_ _͠҉͏_ _o_ _̡͞_ _d_ _̛_ _y_ _̧̧_ ́ treat̛s̶ m͝y͢ p̵o̸s̡se͞s͢sion̛s̵ w͡ro͡n̷g̀."̛

Dipper weakly tried tugging his wrist out of Bill’s grasp and was surprised to find that he was met with little resistance. He crossed his arms and instinctively shrank away from the demon, all while wondering what was up with his strange mood swings.

_But do demons even have moods?_ he questioned, and was horrified to hear the question softly echo around them. Bill stopped what he was doing.

“You need to go back to the illusion you think reality is,” He finally said slowly, backing up a few inches. “I’ll assume you know the way out.”

“Not hardly,” Dipper protested, standing on shaky legs. How was he supposed to get out of a place he’d never been in before?

“Then you’ll figure it out,” the demon snarked dismissively.

“Wait!” Dipper exclaimed before Bill could make a move to leave. He looked down at the ground, shifting awkwardly. “Y-you’re not going to apologize for any of that?” he finally asked weakly, glancing back up.

“I have nothing to apologize for,” came the demon’s reply a moment later. “The meatsack that reared you though...he’ll get what’s his.”

“Don’t,” Dipper protested feebly, even though a dark little voice in the back of his mind urged him to let Bill get revenge for him. “You-you can’t.”

“I’ll do as I please,” Bill stated with an air of cold finality after a long pause of silence. He turned to leave.

“Stop!” Dipper cried out, taking a small step toward the demon.

Cipher let out a sharp sigh, but paused. “What, kid? I’ve got minds to wreck, and you’re wasting my time.”

“You can’t do this again.” The words flew out of Dipper’s mouth before he could think about them. “I-if you want to know anything else, ask. But d-don’t make me...don’t go through my mind like this ever again.”

“What do I get out of the exchange?” Cipher asked after another long pause, his tone barely hinting at curiosity.

Dipper swallowed. “Nothing. It’s not an official deal, it’s a thing of respect.”

"You mean like what I was giving you this _͠_ _e_ _͢_ _n_ _͜_ _t_ _͠_ _i_ _̸_ _r_ _̀_ _e_ _͢_ _ti_ _͜_ _me_ _̛_ _?_ "

He hesitated. “I...shouldn’t have made that accusation,” he admitted, glancing down. “I-I didn’t - I wasn’t - look, I’m sorry. We were both in the wrong today. You more than me, but we both were. You’ve been in my brain for quite awhile now, and it’s high time we established some boundaries if this is going to be a permanent thing.” God, this conversation was a fucked up one.

“Go on.”

“We can’t be fighting like this anymore,” Dipper said slowly, allowing himself time to think over his words before he spoke. “I don’t know what this does to you, but it gets kind of tiring for me, trying to keep my defenses up all the time. So...maybe we can declare a truce?”

“Isn’t that a deal?” Bill asked indifferently, regarding Dipper with a mask of stoicism.

“Kind of,” Dipper responded, digging his nails into his palm to hide how uneasy he was. “It’s not formal. Just a verbal agreement. For us...it would be not fighting anymore. You wouldn’t….do things like this to me anymore or make my dreams a living hell, and I wouldn’t go out of my way to make you angry even though I never did in the first place.”

“You’re pushing your luck here,” Bill told him, holding out a hand. “But sure, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

_“Truce,”_ Dipper corrected automatically. He hesitantly took the demon’s offered hand, his only assurance that the ‘deal’ wasn’t formal being that Bill’s hand wasn’t covered in flames.

They shook once and Cipher tugged his hand forward roughly, pulling him forward-

He woke up with a scream, his hands automatically patting all over his body to ensure that he was, in fact, still in his own body. _He didn’t take me out of my body,_ he thought, sighing with relief. _That was just his way of pulling me out of the mindscape._

He stretched and looked around his room, surprised to find that even though he’d seemed to be in the mindscape for forever, little time had passed in the real world. For a moment he contemplated asking Bill about it, but decided against it. Truce or no truce, things still weren’t okay between them and he had a feeling they wouldn’t be for awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Welcome to Friday, my dear and gorgeous readers! I apologize so much for the feels placed in here, but I needed to clear up any confusion as to why Dipper's character is so much different from the one we see in canon. Aside from that, I also needed to give Bill the spotlight here for a bit - he was getting kind of jealous ^^
> 
> The funkified text.......oh lords, I can go on about this all day. Many thanks to Charm0nder for releasing their secret to funkyfying the words! I realize it gets kind of messy (like, very - I'm surprised Sharon could read the words) so I'm gonna put down what Bill was saying, to save your poor eyes from melting.
> 
> * "And you think you do?"  
> "Pine Tree. Where was Shooting Star?"  
> "She should have been there. She should have prevented it!"  
> "It IS a big deal. You are MINE, Pine Tree! You belong to ME, and if that meatsack thinks for even a second-"  
> "I'm through with the fucking book! I want to hear what happened from your pathetic whiny soundbox, not some memory!"  
> "LIAR! You wouldn't have been so affected by the memory if that had been it. Quit hiding things from me!"  
> "Answer the question before I make you."


	13. Chapter 13

_A cool wind whipped around Dipper’s face, the force stinging his cheeks and ruffling his hair. Various hues of green and brown flashed past his vision, too much of a blur to be able to properly make anything out. Screams of monsters echoed in the air around him and blue fire licked at the trees in his path._

_So, he was running from something then, his mind casually observed as the colors kept swirling around. Blue flared in front of his vision for a moment, as a particularly loud shriek pierced his eardrums. Mentally, he flinched._

_‘Or maybe something’s running from me? But why?’_

“You take forever to wake up, Piney,” his voice suddenly responded, and Dipper would have screamed if he could.

As it was, it appeared that he’d taken a backseat to his mind for awhile.

_Bill?_ he questioned in a mental shriek, panicking. _What the hell is this?! Where am I?!_

Dipper could feel his lips curl into a wry grin, though he wasn’t the one doing it. The colors of the woods and Bill’s cobalt fire still blazed around him in a blur, never ceasing for a moment.

“Might as well congratulate you for figuring out that I’m the one doing this,” Bipper told him gruffly. “Remember that day of possession I was promised? I decided to take that now.”

_Not without warning me first!_ Dipper snapped angrily, attempting to take control of his own body again. Bill’s presence at the front of his mind didn’t budge though, and Dipper got pushed back again with ease.

“I mean, if you _wanted_ your sister and yourself to get mauled by a demon…” Bipper drawled, making Dipper’s body run faster.

Despite not being able to move, he somehow found himself short on breath. _You...you have to be lying,_ he thought. _That’s not…_

“Possible?” Bipper asked slyly. “I did this to keep you meatsacks alive. The demon was in your room, ready to attack when I took matters into my own hands.”

_No,_ Dipper argued, ignoring the voice that suggested he thank the demon. _You’re lying to me, Bill. I would have known if there was a demon in my house. It’s warded to protect against that kind of thing._

“No, it isn’t,” Bipper cackled. “That’s cute though, Pine Tree, really. Is this how you go about your days, deluding yourself on realities that you can’t accept?”

Dipper paused for a moment to consider the demon’s words. _Cipher is a silvertongue,_ he recalled, almost hearing Stanley’s voice in his mind. _So, mind games are how Bill wants to play?_

He focused on where Bill was taking his body for a moment, finally able to make out shapes of all sizes darting around in the darkness.

_Those must be monsters…_ he thought, intrigued by the sight. _The ones I’ve always been told to never go searching for._

“Give the boy a cookie,” Bipper snarked sarcastically. Dipper chose to ignore it.

_I thought reality was just an illusion anyway?_ he tried.

“It is!” Bill exclaimed cheerfully. “Now why don’t you do yourself a favor kid, and go back to sleep? Your body’s always been kind of squeamish about blood, and I have a feeling that you wouldn’t want to watch yourself kill.”

He _did_ have a point, Dipper begrudgingly admitted to himself. Even by just a mention of it, his stomach was starting to feel sickly _._

_You’re not going to... to kill that demon while you’re in my body, are you?_ he asked the demon nervously.

“Why else would I be using your body?!” Bipper cackled, moving a hand up to run it through Dipper’s loose hair. Where was his hat? “Why else would I be out in the woods, kid? Of course I’m going to kill the demon- he was on _my_ property!”

_The Shack doesn’t belong to you,_ Dipper pointed out dryly.

Bill ignored the statement. “As I said kid, go back into your mindscape or something. I’ve got big plans for this body today, and I don’t need you getting in my way!”

What could he do? Bill was obviously in control and not going to relinquish it at any point within the significant future, so it was pointless trying to take back control. He couldn’t just....leave, though, and pretend that nothing was happening.

_It brings up a good point of interest though..._ he mused, choosing to not pay any attention to where Bill was taking him. Better that way, in case things got bloody before Bill even caught up with the other demon. _Why wasn’t I ripped out of my body like the last time Bill took full possession of me?_

There was no answer from the dream demon, and Dipper took it to mean that he was getting closer to the other demon.

He blocked out all the sights and sounds from his surroundings in an attempt to access his mindscape, with little success.

_It’s because I’m still awake,_ he thought in frustration. _How in the heck am I supposed to do it while I’m not sleeping?_

_Just focus your energy into envisioning the place,_ Bill advised. Dipper could feel a small amount of energy brush up against him in a wave then and he allowed it to wash over him. _Magic takes power, yes, but a large part of it is dependent on how much energy and focus you can put into it._

For a moment, Bill sounded so much like William that it made Dipper think hard about whose company he was in. _Thank you?_ he voiced, startled by the demon’s surprisingly helpful explanation.

He somehow managed to block everything out and focused on the memory of the grey mindscape, the labyrinth of bookshelves he’d accessed for the first time just a few days earlier. When a dull grey color began to invade the corners of his vision, he decided to kick things up a notch and focused on what he thought would strengthen his connection to his mindscape - the texture of books (pages especially), and the way books smell, especially when cracked open for the first time.

It must have worked, because the next thing he knew, he was standing in the center of the book labyrinth, everything from the outside world fading into nothing.

“So what should I do first?” Dipper mused as he began to walk along the path. It felt weird, having his entire life at his command….his disposal, if he so desired.

Despite having his life’s story at his fingertips, he first picked up a book from a section labeled _18_ , confident that it was one of his more recent memories. Satisfactorily enough, he was right.

The scene was one from just last week, a morning where he and William had decided to take advantage of their night shift together and went into the woods super early.

_“I think you’ll like the creature we’re going to track down today!” William exclaimed as he led Dipper down the path. The brunet had no trouble keeping up because they were only walking, but he didn’t really mind the chance to hold hands with Will._

_“What’s it going to be?” Dipper asked curiously, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear._

_“That’s a surprise!” the blond replied, grinning mischievously. “Just know this - it’s not something that’s covered in the journals! Hence why I told you to bring the fourth.”_

_“I’m really glad Stanley made this for me,” Dipper admitted, taking the book out of his recently acquired messenger bag. Along with the new journal and some quill pens, it had been an early birthday gift from Stanley. “I didn’t think there were still so many creatures that never got researched.”_

_“He’s been saving a lot of them for you,” Will commented, his gaze softening a little. “After he came out of the portal, he decided to focus more on family than his work. It makes sense, once you think about it...after all, he’s more out of his prime, and he’d spent thirty years in the multiverse. Why waste a second more away from what really matters?”_

_“That’s really insightful,” Dipper mused, opening the new journal and flipping through the blank pages. “But still - I don’t think I could just...do that. Give up my life’s work.”_

_“It’s a good thing he did,” the elder teen added, his tone shifting to a lighter one. “If not for it, you’d be stuck with nothing to do!”_

_“I would not,” Dipper retorted, biting his lip to hide a bashful smile. “There’s plenty of things I could be doing in my spare time!”_

_“I’m sure there are,” Will said with a smirk._

_Dipper took a second to think about the innuendo behind his words, blushing when he realized the double meaning of William’s reply. “But not like that!” he protested, trying and failing to keep a straight face. William laughed at the expression on his face, and they continued on their trip._

_The sun was well on its way into the sky by the time they stopped by a small creek for a break. Just like the sun, the temperature was also beginning to climb, and Dipper was grateful for the chance to cool down._

_“This feels nice,” he sighed contently, running his hands through the water, then his hair. His cap had been taken off for a few minutes, and was resting with his bag under a tree. “You didn’t think to pack any food though, did you?”_

_William shook his head as he slowly waded into the shallow water. It only went to about his ankles, but that didn’t seem to deter the blond. “We can have breakfast when we get back to the shack,” he replied nonchalantly, turning his head to give Dipper a smile. “It’s still pretty early in the morning, despite what you - or your stomach - might think.”_

_“My stomach is usually right,” Dipper bantered good-naturedly, not hesitating to return the elder teen’s grin. “And it’s insisting that we eat.”_

_William paused for a long moment, then finally answered in a tone that seemed alight with wonder. “I suppose the creature we’re visiting might have something you can snack on...you’ll have to ask her very nicely though; she doesn’t take kindly to rude people.”_

_“It’s a she then?” Dipper asked excitedly, his eyes lighting up with interest. “And from the way you’re describing her, she sounds like nobility.”_

_“Those are the only hints you’re getting about her,” William teased, smirking and wagging his finger at the brunet in a condescending manner. “It was very sneaky of you, tricking me into telling you what I did. But no worries - it shan’t happen again!”_

_Dipper giggled at his friend’s theatrics, waving away the words with a flip of his middle finger. “I didn’t do anything to make you say that,” he retaliated, unable to keep a serious facade. “You tricked yourself, buddy.”_

_They joked and played around in the water for a few minutes more, enjoying the chance to forget about their troubles, if only for a little while._

_Reluctantly, they eventually set back off. William would occasionally stop Dipper in his tracks to point out a plant specimen, explaining the various uses it had, as well as its often supernatural origins. Dipper nodded each time, absorbing the information and jotting it down haphazardly in a small field notebook Mabel had bought for him. When he wasn’t writing, it too was stashed safely away in his bag._

_Finally, after what seemed like forever, they came to an abrupt stop in a small clearing. It was probably one of the prettiest Dipper had seen yet, which was saying something. It was located deeper in the forest than Dipper had ever gone before, something that he made sure to jot down in his notebook. A waterfall cascaded down from a ledge jutting out of the middle of the cliffside, forming a large pool that turned into a large ravine that Dipper suspected must run through most of the woods._

_“Is this the place?” Dipper asked curiously, letting his bag slide down his arm to drop gently on the green grass._

_“This is the place,” Will confirmed with a grin._

_“There’s nobody here,” Dipper observed. “Unless the ‘she’ you were talking about is the river? If that’s the case, then you deserve more credit than I give you. I thought I was meeting a person or something.”_

_“She should be along shortly,” Will murmured in a significantly quieter tone, walking over to the edge of the pool of water and crouching down beside it. “I might have to call her...it’s been so long since we’ve spoken last.”_

_‘_ So...not the river, then _,’ Dipper summed up mentally, picking up his bag and slowly taking out the fourth journal and his fancy pen._

_He didn’t notice that William was speaking until he looked over and saw the elder teen’s lips moving, though no apparent sound came out. He must have been whispering, because Dipper couldn’t hear him over the sound of the river, rushing and bubbling along its chosen path._

_Dipper glanced down at the blank journal, wondering what exactly he’d be studying today. He scrawled a little doodle in the corner of the page then, figuring that William talking to water had to be something of a regular thing when he came into the woods, and that he’d be told when the blond was finished._

_When his eyes flicked up briefly to check what the elder teen was doing, he gasped at the sight before him. The water that it seemed Will had been previously conversing with was pulling up and out of the pond of its own accord, weaving in what Dipper would describe as some odd sort of magical dance to form a person._

_Except, she wasn’t one. Her skin was a silvery color that seemed more blue at times, her hair the color of the water. Her yellow eyes were alight with mischief and though the expression she wore was mostly kind, a small smirk played at her lips._

_Dipper jotted down each intricate detail in the notebook, infinitely glad that William had taken him here today though unable to express it in words._

_“Greetings, my Lord,” the creature spoke, her voice reminding Dipper of the bubbling water behind them._

_William smiled warmly, extending a palm towards her as if he were expecting a high five. “Please, address me as William for the time being,” he replied, his voice bubbling much like hers had._

_“Very well,” she acquiesced, extending her hand and matching it up against the blonde’s._

_Dipper was fascinated. Were they speaking in some sort of new language? It sounded mostly English, but their voices were distorted to sound like the river. He wrote down his every thought on the subject, pausing to look up when he was finished._

_William continued to converse with the water creature in soft undertones as Dipper wrote, and calmly finished up whatever they were talking about once he noticed the other was focused on them._

_“This is my colleague and young paranormal investigator, Dipper Pines,” he told the creature, gesturing to the brunet. “Dipper, this is a water nymph named Nivea. She commands the water creatures of the forest for the most part, even though she isn’t an official ruler.”_

_“It’s an honor to meet you, Nivea,” Dipper told the nymph, nodding his head once. An idea struck then and he held his palm out to her, much like Will had done when greeting her. Was it perhaps a sign of respect?_

_“Likewise to you, Dipper Pines,” she replied a small smile on her lips though her eyes shone with reverence. “I-”_

Dipper abruptly forced himself out of the memory, worried about how long he’d been in the mindscape. While he resolved to come back someday and see the rest play through, he decided to move on to another memory for the time being.

This time he wandered a little deeper into the maze, rather than sticking to the outskirts. Much like an actual library, each section was carefully labeled with a year or title, and Dipper assumed that the books were shelved in chronological order.

“What to choose next though…” he mused as he walked through the labyrinth. The memories from the last few years were too triggering to watch, and he really didn’t feel like reliving his middle school years.

_Elementary… too boring,_ he decided as he passed several more bookshelves, each slowly declining in age until he reached a section marked with a single _5_.

_I don’t remember most of my childhood,_ Dipper realized with a sad little pang in his chest. _And all I do remember is small little flashes here and there._

He ignored those memories though as if on an impulse, and weaved his way through the bookshelves until he was standing in front of a podium where the very first book sat.

_My birth,_ Dipper realized with a mixture of awe and slight revulsion. _I can literally watch myself be born right now if I wanted to._

He backtracked a little instead of opening the book on the pedestal, stopping just a little ways down from it. The book he pulled off the shelf was a deep purple color and was marked with the stars that stretched across Dipper’s forehead.

He hesitated, tracing a finger over the constellation. None of the other memories had been marked on the cover… so why was this one? Before he could chicken out, he opened it up.

At first, all he could see was a blur of color. Then, it slowly sharpened into focus to show Dipper’s mother holding him in her arms, Dipper’s father standing behind her.

Only the present Dipper could see the cold, calculated look on his face.

_“-it’s just so odd,”_ _his mother mused, humming a soft tune. “I mean, I know your side of the family has its fair share of oddities, but I’ve never heard of full constellation birthmarks.”_

_“You remember everything I’ve told you about the town called Gravity Falls?” Dipper’s father asked slowly after a long moment of silence._

_“Well, yes… But...what does that town have to do with Dipper’s birthmark?”_

_“There’s this d-”_

Dipper was suddenly forced out of the memory, the impact from the tug sending him sprawling to the ground. Through some magical force, the book remained hovering in midair as a thick black chain wove around it and was locked securely with a small padlock.

“Sorry Pine Tree, but that one’s off limits!” Bill’s cheerful voice rang out around him.

Dipper swore, leaping to his feet as quickly as he was able. “Unlock it right now!” he demanded, looking around to try to find the demon.

“It’s not up for debate,” Bill warned in a tone that was more forceful than before. “So don’t even start. At any rate, it’s safe to come back into the front of your body now. The demon’s dead.”

Dipper wanted to argue that the memory was _his_ and that he had every right to see it if he wanted, but he knew now by experience that Bill expected Dipper to do whatever he was ordered to because the demon had some sort of a weird God complex going on. Reluctantly, he grit his teeth and concentrated on leaving his mindscape.

A few minutes passed, and Dipper finally found that he was back in the small corner of his mind that Bill had pushed him into. His senses came rushing back at him and he had to spend several moments trying to figure out what was going on.

The first sense he managed to figure out was smell, and only because it was the most overwhelming of them all. The first smell he managed to pick out of the small bunch was the irony tang of blood, followed closely by the acrid smell of burning flesh.

_Bill…?_ Dipper asked hesitantly as he tried sorting through his other senses. He couldn’t see anything yet, besides darkness. He got the feeling that it was something like a default setting for returning from the mindscape, and he just hadn’t noticed it before because he’d been asleep the other times he’d been going in recently. _You_ just _finished killing that demon, didn’t you?_

_It’s been a few minutes!_ Bill interjected cheerfully as Dipper’s mind suddenly cleared. _And that’s much better, Pine Tree! I’ll have the blond meatsack teach you how to do that yourself sometime, because it’s annoying to have to put up with your mind invading my space just after you’ve left the mindscape._

_Thank you,_ Dipper told him distractedly, focusing on what he was finally able to see.

Bipper was standing in front of what looked like a crackling blue bonfire. Blood covered the ground around it, and from what Dipper could tell, his body too. The sight combined with the smell made Dipper feel mentally nauseous, and he was grateful for once that Bill had completely taken over his body.

_It’s wonderful, right?_ Bill asked gleefully, holding up a hand so Dipper could see it. His skin was stained red with blood that was still wet enough to drip to the ground, and his nails were somehow elongated to look more like what Dipper had always assumed a demon’s did. _Personally, I think your body looks so much better like this!_

_You can switch it back, right?!_ Dipper exclaimed in a panic, his mind racing to thoughts of a future where he permanently looked like a demon.

Bill scoffed out loud, running Dipper’s bloody hand through his hair. _Of course I can! I won’t do it right now, obviously. I mean - what would be the point of possessing you if I can’t have a little fun with it and change your human design?_

_You have to change it back whenever you leave my body,_ Dipper commanded. _And you’re going to clean me up before going back to the Shack too, right?_

_You’re so demanding,_ Bill grouched, making a show of rubbing Dipper’s other bloody hand against his cheek. _You’ll be back to normal by the time you wake up tomorrow, but your body is mine to control until then._

It was then that Dipper realized he’d made a grave error by not clarifying any rules for Bill to abide by while taking this day of possession. He’d assumed that Bill would abide by the normal wishes of not causing any major damage to him or any of his loved ones, but there was no guarantee of even that. And now, because of his idiocy and desire to keep Mabel safe at all costs, all kinds of issues he’d never bothered to think about were beginning to crop up.

It was probably too late to make modifications to their deal now though, that much Dipper was absolutely sure of. If force wouldn’t work on the dream demon though, perhaps he could be persuaded into doing what Dipper wanted him to.

_It’s probably not a good idea to go back to the Shack all covered in blood though,_ he pointed out slowly. _The claws will probably be okay, but you’re going to have to wash off all the blood if you don’t want anyone to, as you so eloquently put it,_ interfere in our affairs.

Bipper snapped his fingers, causing the blue bonfire to abruptly disappear, leaving the ground below it scorched and stinking of smoke and burnt flesh. The scene reminded Dipper of the sacrifices he and William had been investigating for the past month, and he would have shuddered if he were in control of his body. Luckily enough, Bipper gave him little time to reflect on it, as he began walking in the opposite direction. Dipper hoped it was in the direction of the Shack.

_I know what you’re trying to do, Piney, and ordinarily it wouldn’t work. That nosey demon has been killed though, and I still get to keep your body to play with for the next several hours. It’s been a good day so far! I’m feeling generous enough to at least run this body under a waterfall and see what effects high water pressure has on human flesh._

Bill wasn’t going to subject him to semi-voluntary water torture, Dipper figured. _Or….I think he won’t, anyway._

_Can’t you just magically clean my body though or something?_ he asked the demon in exasperation.

Bipper grinned in exasperation. _I could, but there’s so many things I can_ do _to this body that it’s far too tempting to just stay out here for the day! I wanna see what makes this meatsuit tick!_

_And_ this _meatsuit doesn’t think that’s a very good idea,_ Dipper grumbled in resignation.

* * *

“...and that’s how I got these cuts all over your nephew’s body!” Bipper proudly finished, kicking his feet up onto the table and relaxing.

Dipper could barely tell what was going on in the real world. After his time in the woods with Bill as his puppeteer, he’d shrunk into a small corner of his mind and closed up his access to all the senses except for sound. That was the only reason he knew that Bill had just blatantly lied to his family.

Small flashes of what had transpired earlier flashed in front of the darkness that was his vision. Bipper using a small jagged stone that he had summoned to cut into his skin, and the way his traitorous body had reacted to the pain. Once Bill had figured out the signals Dipper’s body was sending him, he had switching to using his claws.

It was sickening to think about, and Dipper _had_ felt sickened at the time. A part of him had been revolted and wanted to hide away then, but a much larger part of him craved the aftermath of the pain.

“Has your temporary body gotten anything to eat today?” One of the adults - Dipper figured it was Stanley - asked in what sounded like a relatively calm tone, given the circumstances.

“Nope!” Bipper replied, cackling manically. “By your human standards, anyway - I absorbed the demon’s soul, so Pine Tree here will likely be sick for about a week!”

Dipper heard a sigh and a few muttered words, then he was vaguely aware of Bipper moving.

_What’s going on?_ he asked curiously, though he still refused to access the rest of his senses.

“I’m getting some food to shove into this meatsack, and taking it upstairs!” Bipper replied cheerfully. “Then I’ve been ordered to stay in the attic for the rest of the night. As if they can control me!”

“We have our means,” came Mabel’s irritated-sounding voice. “So don’t test us Bipper.”

“Whatever Star,” Bipper mocked boredly. “I suppose you’ve been told to watch my every move then?”

She didn’t answer, and there was silence for several moments until the sounds of the outdoors filled Dipper’s eardrums. Bill was outside again? It was another few minutes before Mabel spoke up.

“You know, I don’t get why you feel the need to antagonize them like this. You’re already getting what you want out of this, so there’s really no point to it.”

“Because it’s fun,” Bipper mumbled through a mouthful of food. “Just like jumping off this roof would be.”

“You wouldn’t do it.” A pause. “But still - this is hardly fair to Dipper.”

_What?_

When there was no response from Bill, Mabel kept talking.

“At any rate, I don’t think this is right. I know you don’t want me to say anything though, so that’s the only opinion I’ll give on the subject.”

“Good decision,” Bipper replied tersely.

“I’m also almost done with that design you wanted me to do,” Mabel mumbled awkwardly. “I don’t know where the heck I’m supposed to keep it stashed-”

“I do.” Bipper cut in roughly. “Change the topic, _now_.”

There was a shift in Mabel’s tone, turning it into a more threatening one. “You better not hurt him,” she said lowly. “I know he’s not going to understand any of this, and quite frankly, I don’t either. I know better than to pester you about it, but know _this_ \- you’ll pay dearly if you hurt my brother, you got that?”

There was a scuffling noise, then silence. Dipper tensed. Had Bill…?

_She left,_ the demon told him dryly. _I’m not foolish enough to off her just yet. Even if she_ is _a constant thorn in my side._

Taking that to mean that he wasn’t going to kill her ever, Dipper allowed himself to relax and mull over the conversation his twin had had with Bill.

Promptly, he tensed again.

Mabel was designing something for Bill... but what? Was it some kind of superweapon, like what the government had accused Grunkle Stan of making six years ago?

_What did she know that he didn’t?_

His mind vaguely recognized the sound of his body stretching, and then the sounds of Bipper going back inside.

The demon’s silence bothered him. Ordinarily, Bill would have at least told him that it wasn’t anything he needed to worry about, but apparently this time it _was_ , and that terrified him.

_Bill?_ he tried some time later, when he could hear Mabel’s gentle snores. _You’d tell me if she was in any kind of danger, right?_

There was no answer. Honestly, he hadn’t expected one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fuck guys.
> 
> I wanna say how sorry I am. This took exactly a month's time to get finished. School started recently, and I put off the chapter for a week like ey - gonna take a week to get adjusted to college. Nah, man. It just...wasn't there.
> 
> I just...don't know. I'm so stressed out right now (like so many other fic writers at the moment) and I just don't know about anything anymore. Like, I love writing and I love this fic and the fandom and chiz, but I just - I can't relax anymore. Writing hasn't become a complete chore, but it's starting to head in that direction. In a way, I feel like I'm taking on too much right now. I got my main blog on Tumblr and like four side blogs to maintain, one of which has a queue that *must* be kept up because that's how the blog runs. I have college, and soon (I hope) a job and now, homework. Then, I have "free" time. I spend a lot of it on Tumblr, which is likely going to take a major low on my list of priorities - save for the blog with the queue. I have god knows how many fanfics to read. I've been clicking on the links in my email, and then half the time I just end up bookmarking it for later and then getting back to it after days of it sitting in my browser's bookmarks. I just...I can't enjoy life anymore. 
> 
> Next update on this....I'll try my hardest for two weeks, but if I don't update then, then....it doesn't happen in two weeks and I'll say fuck it to the posting on Fridays thing I have and just post it whenever it is done. My entries for Billdip week are hopefully gonna be finished sometime next week, and then my other projects will be gently polished, maybe tapped on a few letters, then placed back gently onto the shelf.
> 
> Fuck this shit, guys. I was mostly okay before school, as were other fic writers. Is this what school does to people? Stresses them out to the point where all they want to do is curl into a ball and never get back up, or stress them out to where they literally spend their free time stressing about what needs to get done next?
> 
> This is not a suicide note, for the record. You peeps think I'm that bad? (I promise, I'm not). Nor is this my "resignation" note for this fic, or any of my other ones. I promise, you'll know when that day comes.
> 
> On another, happier note, welcome to Friday everyone =) Major con that I leave for in nine hours, gonna go meet Alex Hirsch himself and chiz....super excited!
> 
> This chapter was a somewhat fluff-ish one, and the next one will be too. Then we're gonna enter this nice period of unhappy angsty-ish shit that's gonna make y'all cry ^^ Hopefully, if I do my job right.
> 
> Thank you so much, my dear readers. Every new hit and comment and bookmark and kudos and subscription this fic gets literally lights up my day. I rarely ever respond to comments, and I'm sorry about that but at the same time I kind of feel like if I started replying now, I'd hurt the feelings of others that have been commenting since the beginning that never got a reply and I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
> 
> Feel free to come find me on Tumblr though, if you ever wanna talk or anything =) I go by the same name and chiz, so it hopefully shouldn't be too hard =)


	14. Chapter 14

“The magical signature’s still the same,” Dipper announced with a sigh, standing. “What I can detect of it, anyway. What do you think, William?”

The elder teen crouched down beside the recently cooled ashes and examined the small pile, disdain set in his features. “It looks like the others,” he remarked through gritted teeth.

Dipper spared a glance at William, failing to hide his concern, as always. He was used to his friend’s anger towards the happenings in the woods that he couldn’t control, but it didn’t stop the brunet from worrying. Especially whenever _Bill Cipher_ didn’t even know what was going on. That, or else the dream demon was keeping it a secret.

After the day of possession a few weeks back, the demon had taken to not bothering him, ever. It made Dipper wonder if it was just a temporary side effect of the mind-purge, or if it was because Bill just wanted to stay back and watch everything from the shadows.

If that were the case though, why had Bill made the first deal with him back in May? What did the dream demon have to gain from having a connection and space in Dipper’s mind if he wasn’t even going to use it? Or _had_ he? Was the mind purge what Bill had wanted the whole time? To break Dipper down? Why make the deal then? Couldn’t he have just-?

“-but I’m thinking that if we pool our magic together, it can be done,” William finished, snapping Dipper out of his train of thought.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Dipper asked, laying a hand on his forehead and massaging the skin. The miasmic aura of the area was beginning to really set in, and he knew he’d have to leave soon if it got much worse.

William grimaced sympathetically. “Do we need to go?” he murmured worriedly, gesturing to the younger teen.

“No!” Dipper blurted out, shaking his head quickly. Unfortunately the action only worsened his headache, and he let out a small whimper at the resulting stab of pain.

“ _No_ ,” he bit out, clenching his teeth. Tears pooled in his eyes, but he blinked them away. “I-I can do this.”

Will dipped his head once, then continued. “Right then. If the miasma gets to be too much, get out of here.” He looked pale himself, and Dipper could see that his hands and legs were trembling. “Either way, I was trying to say that I might just have an idea. These ritual sites are clearly hiding something majorly important, because this miasma is trying so hard to drive us away. I was thinking that maybe if we pool our magic together, we can find a way to get past the barriers.”

“Is that even possible though?” Dipper questioned, closing his eyes to ward off the pain. “I mean, if there aren’t any spells that are working for identifying who the perpetrators are, what’s the guarantee that we’re going to be able to get past their black magic?”

“Slim to nil, most likely,” came William’s grim voice. “But we have to try _something_. I don’t know how much longer I can take not knowing anything.”

Despite the headache, Dipper nodded. He could understand Will’s frustration, because he’d dealt with his own plenty of times before when something wasn’t going the way he wanted it to. “Do you know what we need to say?” he questioned, finally opening his eyes again.

The elder teen shook his head. “This isn’t something I’ve ever had to do before,” he admitted. “Hell, I don’t even even know if there’s anything we _can_ say. It could just be sheer will that’ll do it in.”

Dipper bit his lip. “That’s a whole other problem in itself then,” he said softly. “I-I don’t know if my magic is even strong enough to do it. I have too many problems doing some of the simplest elemental spells, and this seems so much more complex.”

“Elemental spells take a certain kind of specialty though,” William responded, reassuring even though his tone was wavering. “Maybe spells of will are going to be yours.”

With a final nod, Dipper acquiesced. He still wasn’t convinced that any of this was going to help, but he was willing to try if it meant that they’d both stop suffering.

William nodded back. “I’m going to try on my own first though,” he cautioned. “So you might want to step back just in case this gets ugly.”

Dipper did as he was told, moving back to stand by a tree that was a few feet away from the ritual site. The distance was enough to soothe his headache a little, and he sighed in relief. He leaned his head against the base of the tree and closed his eyes, figuring that he would get a few minutes to rest while William tried his hand at diminishing the ominous aura around them. After a few muttered words and a blast of heat, Dipper’s eyes snapped back open.

A ring of blue flames had erupted in a circle around William, spiraling upward into the sky. William looked okay for the most part, his face holding a sharp focus on it that Dipper only rarely got to see when the elder teen used magic in large doses. Blue symbols borne of fire scorched the ground in and around the circle, though none in any language Dipper immediately recognized.

Cautiously, he took a step forward.

As if recognizing their attempt to deflect it, the previously invisible miasma took color, changing into an inky black and surrounding the clearing. The blue flames that Dipper could just barely make out through the fog wavered, though continued spiraling and occasionally lashing out through the smoke. The clearing had been dead silent since the moment Will and Dipper had stepped foot into it, but now Dipper could make out the soft, yet harsh sound of coughing.

Dipper raised his arm up to cover his mouth and nose, then took another unsteady step forward. He knew the attempt was futile, that surely he would begin coughing before passing out, but he _needed_ to get to William before the blond fell under the effects of the dark haze and his own magic.

“Dipper…” William choked out in a moment where he wasn’t coughing. “Where-where are you?”

The younger teen blindly stumbled toward the sound of Will’s voice, removing his arm for a second to inhale sharply. Almost immediately, he lost what air he had gathered as he began coughing and gagging on the taste of the murky haze. “H-here,” he forced out.

Finally, he came to a stop whenever the glow of the azure fire was right in front of him. His foot lifted in the air to step closer, to where he thought his best friend was, but hesitation set in and he laid his foot back down and faltered.

He _wanted_ to cross through the fire, _needed_ to get to where Will was and help, but...what if the fire hurt? He’d felt the effects of magic go wrong before, and it was something he had sworn that he’d never wanted to experience ever again.

 _It won’t hurt you,_ a voice sounded in his head, not quite Bill’s, but not unfamiliar. _Just..._ please. _Help…_

And so Dipper found himself moving forward, crossing through the flames and dropping down to his knees beside William’s crumpled and trembling form. How the elder teen was able to keep his magic going, Dipper would probably never know. In that moment, it didn’t matter.

“I-I’m here.” His voice was choked, and he blamed the sudden wetness in his eyes on the effects from the black fog that surrounded them, suffocating and oppressive. “Will…?”

A sharp, shuddering exhale escaped the blond and it made Dipper bite back a sob. It was a reassurance that his best friend was _alive_ though, and that fact resonated throughout him, relief flooding his other emotions.

“T-take my hands Dipper…” William breathed out, another round of hoarse coughs wracking his lithe frame. “F...focus your magic. You can...you can do this.”

Dipper wasn’t sure that he _could_ accomplish this though, and the thought crossed his mind that they could die here, trapped by their own personal hell. He fumbled for Will’s hands though, and grasped them tightly when he found them. He curled over the elder teen almost protectively and allowed his eyes to slip shut. He was _so_ tired, but a small voice in the back of his mind nagged at him to focus.

So he did.

At first, he could hardly notice a change, but then it was suddenly _there_. The orange flames that Dipper had come to know as his own flickered to life, mingling with azure until they created their own color. The magic cocooned around Will and Dipper, and the brunet could feel it pulsate outward in a sharp wave, almost overtaking him with the force.

Dipper was slowly beginning to grow weaker, and a small part of him was still _there_ enough to know it. He curled tighter around William and buried his face into the back of the elder teen’s shirt, mouthing an inaudible prayer that they both lived.

His final words still on his lips, Dipper Pines slipped into darkness.

 

* * *

 

“...Tree, _please_.” A long pause, some pressure, and then the voice of an angel again. “This...this _can’t_ be the price I pay for-” The voice cut off then, replaced with sniffles and the occasional sob that was accompanied with a sharp jab of pain that brought Dipper back to consciousness.

He stirred, groaning lowly and trying to make sense of what had happened. The only thing he could immediately remember was the darkness and the flames, his sorrow and the pain. After a moment of simply _existing_ again, he dared to try seeing again.

The first thing that came into focus was William’s face, his eye alight with hope and happiness, recent teartracks still shining on his cheeks. Looking past Will, Dipper could see that the sky was slowly darkening and it had been at least a few hours since...since what?

“W-what ‘appened?” he mumbled groggily, sitting up. The instant he did, bile hit the back of his throat as he retched, spewing vomit onto the ground in front of him. Before he had even finished, William’s hand made its way to his back and began rubbing in smooth firm circles.

“I got sick too,” the elder teen murmured by way of explanation. “Whenever I first woke up. I think it’s a side effect of ingesting some of the miasma.”

Miasma. The word brought back the memories of all that had happened, leading up to Dipper passing out. The teen spat on the ground next to him, shuddering at the taste. “W-where is it?”

He looked over at Will to see that the blond was beaming. “You did it Dipper!” he exclaimed, pulling the brunet close despite the vomit around them. Dipper contently nestled his head into the juncture between Will’s neck and shoulder.

“What do mean by ‘did it’?” Dipper questioned, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. His words were muffled against William’s skin, but the elder teen seemed to understand anyway.

Will laughed lightly, the sound reverberating in his throat and vibrating against the side of Dipper’s head. “I have no idea how you managed it, but the miasma’s gone. All of it! At least...for this area anyway. But still, Dipper...you did it.”

He exhaled and pulled away then, locking his gaze onto the blonde’s. “ _We_ did it,” he emphasized quietly. “I don’t think I could have done it if you hadn’t used your magic first.”

A moment passed in which William’s grin grew softer, his expression more tender. “You’re right,” he murmured, his hands moving to cup Dipper’s face in a gentle, yet solid grip. “Absolutely right,” he breathed, then leaned in and pressed his lips softly against Dipper’s forehead.

Dipper basked in the glow of the blonde’s praise, his eyes slipping closed of their own accord as Will’s lips went from his forehead to the corner of his mouth.

“We should head home…” William murmured distractedly, slowly moving to his feet. “Dinner’s probably almost over by now, and everyone will be worried about us.”

Dipper followed suit, though he faltered at the elder teen’s words. He blinked once, not sure if he truly understood what William was saying. “H-home? But...we just- we _just_ got through this! Don’t you want to investigate this site before the miasma comes back?”

The elder teen waved his words away with another small laugh. “It _won’t_ come back Dipper!” He exclaimed gleefully, throwing his hands up in the air and giving a small spin. “Can’t you _feel_ it? It’s _gone_ , Dipper, and the air is _free_!”

Dipper admittingly _could_ feel a definite shift in the air, but a small voice in the back of his mind warned him that it wasn’t over yet. Still...these woods were William’s domain, so who would know better than he would?

...Bill Cipher, of course, but Dipper stopped counting the demon. It didn’t make sense to count a being that wasn’t even speaking to him as useful, so he just...didn’t, anymore.

He and William made their way back to the shack slowly, still a bit unsteady from the exposure to the miasma. William chatted happily for most of the time while Dipper kind of hummed his agreement every once in awhile.

The sun had fully set by the time they reached the shack, constellations stretching across the sky to weave their intricate stories. Dinner had to have been over by then, but Dipper hoped that at least Mabel had been thoughtful enough to leave some out for them. Surely she would have figured that something bad had happened, right?

Much to his relief, dinner was actually still in session when he and William entered the dining room. Dipper immediately went to the first empty chair and sat down to soothe his aching body, whereas the elder teen disappeared into the kitchen - most likely to get himself some food. For a moment, Dipper contemplated doing the same.

“Where have you been?” Grunkle Stan questioned gruffly, his tone both slightly angered and mistrusting. “You made Mabel worry.”

“I wasn’t _that_ worried,” Mabel interjected smoothly with a bright smile, but the slight waver in her tone betrayed the lie. Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before he could get a word in.

“Woods.” William said tiredly. Dipper looked back to see the blond standing in the doorway, holding not one, but two plates of food.His chest warmed in a sudden rush of appreciation and affection for the elder teen. “We had a breakthrough with the fires.”

 _Fires._ So, that’s what they were calling it now. Even though they had little to no evidence, they were almost completely positive that something was being summoned in the woods, and Dipper wondered for a moment why Will didn’t outright just state what it really was.

Stanley cleared his throat. “And what was that?” he questioned, curious despite the equally stern expression on his face.

A plate of food was set down in front of Dipper, and then William took the seat next to him. Dipper was the only one that caught the weary, almost inaudible sigh that escaped Will before the blond responded.

“Thanks to Dipper, the miasma that was guarding one of the sites of the fires has been completely vanquished. It wasn’t without consequence though,” Will started, sounding somehow more tired than he had when they’d first awoken.

It made Dipper think, as the elder teen continued his explanation, about the effects the tainted air had had on them, and how he still wasn’t up to par. William had at least seemed to get better, but now...what if the effects came and went, and his friend was once more falling ill to them? The elder teen had seemed so _alive_ back in the woods, and it was such a stark contrast to the hunched over, tired form that sat beside him now.

He took a bite of food to keep from voicing the thought out loud, vowing mentally to speak to Will about his suspicions as soon as he got a chance. Once the blond had finished conversing with both of the Stans and Mabel, however, the room fell to silence while they finished their meal.

Mabel finished her food first and retreated upstairs, both Stanford and Stanley following suit shortly after. It gave Dipper the chance to talk to Will about what had happened earlier and what he was thinking, but something stopped him from uttering the words.

Will was the first one to finish his dinner, and it was as he was standing to put his dishes in the sink that something finally clicked in Dipper’s mind and he spoke.

“Wait-” Dipper blurted out. The elder teen paused, and he continued. “Are...are you okay?” he asked lamely, casting his gaze down to his half-eaten food. The question was a start, at least. That had to count for something, right?

“I’ve been better,” the blond replied slowly, setting his plate back down on the table. “Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

“You seem kind of out of it again,” Dipper mumbled, moving his fork around his plate absentmindedly. “Do you think that maybe some of the miasma is still inside of you?”

Will seemed to consider it, and after a moment, his reply sounded. “I don’t think so, but that is a possibility. Really though, it’s probably just my energy levels. They’ve been fluctuating recently, and taking on the miasma used a lot of it.”

This information surprised Dipper, and it must have shown because William gave him a small crooked smile. “It actually _does_ happen, you know,” he teased mildly, picking the plate back up. “I’m not made of pure energy.”

Then the blond was gone and Dipper’s heart was almost stopping, and the feeling got pushed down in the time it took for the back door of the shack to open and close.

Later on, as he was climbing into bed, he voiced his concerns to Mabel. “Do you think that something might be wrong with Will?”

She paused in her knitting for a moment, her brow furrowing in thought. “He seemed awfully tired tonight,” she replied thoughtfully. “But didn’t you hear his explanation over dinner? He said that the deal with the stuff in the woods took a lot out of him - and you too, now that I think about it properly.” She studied him carefully, even going so far as to put down her needles and the yarn in favor of going over to his bed.

“You look even more exhausted than he did,” his twin remarked a moment later after peering intently at his face.

“I feel exhausted,” Dipper admitted, turning over to lay on his side. “Mabes, I’m kind of worried about what it did to us. I almost feel like I’m dying on the inside, even though Will gave me the clean bill of health on the way home earlier.”

Mabel bit her lip. “I’m sure you’re going to be okay…” she murmured, looking away from him. She sat down the bed beside his curled form and transfixed her gaze seemingly on her side of the room. “W-William knows what he’s talking about, and he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you Dip-Dop. He really cares about you, you know.”

Dipper shrugged even though she couldn’t see. He didn’t voice a response for the fear of his insecurities slipping out without him meaning for them to. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Mabel, as much as it was that he didn’t want her to have to worry about him.

After all, as she’d so diligently been pointing out all week, they were almost nineteen. And speaking of...

“Two more days Bro-Bro…” His twin sighed out happily, changing the subject. “We’re going to have a party, I think. Wendy said that she couldn’t come up because she’s falling a bit behind in school and needs to study, but all of our other friends are going to be there.”

“You mean _your_ friends, Mabel,” Dipper mumbled, cracking an eye open. “Will’s already guaranteed to be here because he lives here, but I’m not counting him.”

“You’re friends with Candy,” his twin pointed out, giving him a quick smile. “So that makes at least one of your friends that will be there.”

“I don’t _mind_ her,” Dipper corrected tiredly, closing his eye again. “There’s a difference…”

If she ever responded, he didn’t hear as sleep took over. His dreams were as they had been for a while now, dark and filled with nightmarish images of William. As per usual, Bill was nowhere to be found.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, we’re just going to take this easy today,” William cautioned as they headed into the woods the next afternoon. “I’m still almost completely sure that the miasma is gone from this area, but we’re leaving at the first sign of it.”

“Got it,” Dipper replied with a nod. He was feeling much better than the previous day, and the brightness in Will’s eyes let him know that the blond felt better too.

The walk over to the site of the summoning was completely tranquil for the first time ever, and Dipper could automatically tell the difference. The woods were more alive again, the air clearer than it had been in a long time. Dipper inhaled deeply, relishing in the fresh aura of the area.

The summoning site was the same as it had been the day earlier, the ashes unchanging and the eyes still carved and painted on the trees around the clearing. The miasma truly _was_ gone though, and the investigation of what had happened could truly begin.

Dipper immediately walked over to the pile of ashes and stuck his hands in, secure in the knowledge that doing so wouldn’t make him sick anymore. The first things he pulled out, predictably, were bones of various sizes. Thankful that he wasn’t feeling nauseous at the moment, he passed them on to Will.

“Do you know what kind they are?” he questioned as he spread the ashes in search of more clues.

“Not at the moment, but I can find out if you shut up for a few minutes,” Will replied cheerfully, and Dipper did just that.

Finding clues as to what had been killed was harder than Dipper had thought it would be, especially considering that the creature had been burned. Aside from the bones and a few teeth that Dipper managed to scavenge from the ashes, there was nothing.

A sigh from William finally broke the silence a few minutes later. “They’re just normal goat bones,” he muttered, seething. “No telling where they got the goat, but this information is useless to us.”

“They could be trying to summon a demon,” Dipper murmured thoughtfully. “Don’t Satanists use goat in their rituals?”

Another harsh sigh. “I know _what_ they’re trying to summon,” Will explain, his tone more tense. “That was obvious the first day we came out here. The thing I can’t figure out is _who_ they’re making deals with, and clearing out miasma did nothing to help that.”

“Maybe if we go to one of the other-”

“ _No_.” Will emphasized. “We _just_ dealt with that stuff yesterday; there’s no telling what going around another one of the sites is going to do to us. For now, we need to take a break from this and get our strength back.”

“So that’s it then?” Dipper questioned in frustration. “We’re just going to give up?” Her stood up, wiping his hands on his shorts. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“I thought you were _dead_ yesterday,” William replied with a cold glare. “Do you have any idea-” He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, his expression going carefully blank. When he spoke again, he was calm. “Look, Dipper. This isn’t giving up, not by a long shot. I’m responsible for you whenever we’re out here, whether you may think it or not, and our health has to be the top priority right now.”

Will wasn’t saying something, and the thought nagged at Dipper that perhaps the dreams he could only vaguely recall were trying to tell him something. What if the blond held the same secret that Mabel did, and either his subconscious or Bill was trying to tell him? The moment passed though, the thought with it. Bill wouldn’t be trying to help him with anything, especially not the revelation of a secret that belonged to him in the first place...would he?

“Let’s head back then.” Dipper finally responded, not waiting for the elder teen to respond before starting off. It crossed his mind that perhaps the miasma still somehow lingered in the area, that somehow the toxicity of it had changed to a type that was less noticeable.

The trip back was considerably more tense than the earlier one had been, but they still managed to make conversation and despite Dipper’s anger that they were stuck _again_ , his mood had lightened by the time they got back to the shack.

William departed to his room instead of the main house and Dipper followed, not wanting their afternoon together to be cut short.

The interior of Will’s room had changed since the last time Dipper had been in it. Gone were the simple black walls, replaced with the image of the galaxy that seemed to make its own light in the dark room. As the door shut behind them, a shooting star flitted from one space on the wall to the next, gone in the blink of an eye.

Dipper gasped. “How did you do that?”

“I enchanted the place,” Will replied nonchalantly, pulling off his shirt and tossing it into one corner of the room. He flicked on the light, and the stars were replaced with the normal black that the walls had been before. “I’m going to shower real quick. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

The blond crossed the room to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweats and a simple tank top, then disappeared into the bathroom without another word.

For a moment, Dipper just stood there awkwardly, not sure what exactly Will wanted from him. He’d said _make yourself at home_ , sure, but that meant different things to different people.

After a moment, he made up his mind and flicked the light back off, smiling when the stars reappeared on the walls and ceiling. He took off his shoes and jacket and placed them by the front door, then went over to Will’s bed and laid down so he could watch the stars.

Time passed as he relaxed fully and allowed his eyes to wander over the vast expanse of the galaxy, taking in the littlest of details and mentally mapping out the constellations that he knew.

After what felt like only a few minutes, William stepped out of the bathroom and made his way over to where Dipper was.

“I thought you’d be doing this,” he stated with a small grin. “Or, I hoped you would, anyway. I find that watching the stars has its own relaxing quality, and I normally do so when my mood’s kind of off.”

“Are they real?” Dipper questioned in wonder, briefly peeling his eyes away from the sky in favor of looking at his friend.

The elder teen laughed quietly. “Of course. Stars _do_ exist, you know,” he teased. “But no, this isn’t just some fancy thing - this is what space looks like at this very moment. Now scoot over so I can join you.”

Dipper did so and Will laid down beside him, maneuvering to rest his head on Dipper’s shoulder, the brunet’s arm going around his. For a few minutes, they simply laid together and watched the stars together.

Do you know what that one is?” Will asked softly, breaking the silence as he pointed to a random constellation.

He shook his head. “What is it?”

“That one is called Boötes,” the elder teen explained, his hand returning to his side. “It’s the oldest constellation in the sky. The way legend has it-” his voice dropped several octaves, now barely a whisper. “-he’s called the Hunter, and he circles the north pole with Canes Venatici to hunt down the Ursa Major and Minor.”

Dipper nodded his response, his gaze fixated on the stars Will had pointed out to him.

“And others like to say that he’s a herdsman,” Will continued, his hand moving to curl around Dipper’s. “And that circling around the pole is his way of keeping the celestial beasts all together.”

“So what’s the right legend then?” Dipper breathed, absentmindedly lacing their fingers together and telling himself that the gesture meant absolutely nothing.

“There is no right version,” the blond stated, tapping a finger against one of Dipper’s knuckles. Vaguely, Dipper could sense his heartbeat increase marginally. “In the end, legends are just stories made up by people to explain what they can’t. They’re not real.”

“Makes sense,” Dipper replied, his tongue darting out to wet his lips real quick. “A mage _and_ knowledgeable of the stars.”

“They go hand in hand,” Will murmured quietly. “You see that one?” he asked a moment later, using his free hand to point. The stars, predictably, matched the form on his forehead. Will’s hand fell to trace over his birthmark, warm breath ghosting over Dipper’s face.

He bit his lip and attempted to steady his rapidly beating heart, knowing that the touch of elder teen’s skin on his doomed him to fail. “Yes,” he breathed out. “W-what about it?”

“I really did think you were dead yesterday,” the blond murmured after a moment, hooking a leg over Dipper’s and curling into his side. “Your skin had gone all clammy and your breathing was so slow that I-I was _sure_ -”

“I didn’t, though,” Dipper told him gently, turning to face him. Will’s eyes looked watery, and it hurt his heart to see the foreign emotion on his friend’s face. “And...if it’s any consolation, we’re done with the woods for now. We won’t go back in there until we’re absolutely sure we can handle it.”

Will smiled, and he returned it gratefully, his eyes wandering to an asteroid that was lazily floating along the wall behind the blond. He rolled back into his original position when the large rock made its way onto the ceiling, content to watch it until it vanished from sight.

They continued watching the stars, Will occasionally pointing out more constellations that Dipper didn’t know and explaining the legends behind them. Despite the fact that the stories weren’t true, he still liked to hear them and was glad that the elder teen seemed to realize it.

The line between friendship and _something more_ seemed to be fading and he noticed it more and more with each passing day, but he had come to realize that it wasn’t half as bad as he always feared it would be.

For the first time in what was forever to him, Dipper found himself dreaming of a reality that suddenly didn’t seem so far off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to....Tuesday? ^^ =)
> 
> How many ways can I thank you guys? Like, the support I got from you all was so overwhelming in tandem with where I was when I read them, that I started crying. Like, thank you SO much for everything. The good vibes and chiz you guys sent out helped immensely, though not completely in the way I had hoped - instead of helping with this chapter, I ended up writing out the entirety of chapter nineteen, and then some of twenty. It's gonna introduce a favorite character of mine though, and I hope you guys like what I have planned.
> 
> Speaking of liking things, I'm about to make you all hate me. ^^
> 
> On an almost entirely unrelated topic, I have an important piece of news for those of you that don't follow my tumblr. I've made the decision to participate in NaNo this year, and as a result, Entropy will not be updated at all in the month of November - simply because it's the project I'm doing for Nano, and my beta-sis is doing her own, and I want to make sure the content I give you all is as perfect as can be. That being stated, there won't be much time for editing content in between NaNoing and classes and chiz.
> 
> But seriously, you guys have no freaking idea how much I love this fandom. Labor Day weekend, I was in Houston for the Amazing Comic Con (more on that shortly!), where I got to have a poster signed by Alex, and I chose to snag a message for CherryViolets. I asked the GF fandom to signal boost the Tumblr post to ensure that she would see, and signal boost you did. Words literally can't describe how proud I am of you all, and how happy her response made me.
> 
> That being stated....the comic con (I'll link the post to the photos at the end of this.). Holy shit guys, it was my sister's best birthday ever. She decided to go a few weeks before we did, just because Alex Hirsch was gonna be there and she wanted to meet him. And meet him we did.
> 
> This story brings a grin to my face every time we tell it, because we first saw him on our way to the hotel, walking along the sidewalk and (presumably) chewing on a pen. The thing that gave him away was the red flannel, and we both saw him and made the connection. Then, we both figured that it had to be a coincidence. (One of our tripmates asked us why we associated flannel with Alex, and it was kind of funny to tell him why, especially because the next mention of Flannel Guy was Brody telling us that he'd just walking into the very hotel we were staying in. Naturally, Sharon and I freaked. Later on that evening, we stumbled across him again, and we just /knew/. Upon finding out that he was approachable, we did so, and Sharon was such a stuttering mess that she could barely even get out the question of if she could have a hug. I, on the other hand, was entirely composed, and asked him a bit about the AUs (Reverse Falls, Transcendence, and Monster Falls). Turns out, he knows OF them, but not actually a whole lot ABOUT them. Take note of that in case any of you ever get the chance to meet him and wanna explain. We got to take a photo with him, and it was really funny because we were all wearing plaid and he commented on it.  
> Gods, there's SO much more I can gush about from that weekend, but there's literally not enough space left in this note to do so. The con was so amazing, Alex is a wonderful human being and Sharon and I interacted with him all three days, and I will gush about Sunday because it was really funny.
> 
> So, Sunday. The panel that day, as EVERYONE knows by now, was completely packed. My dear Mabel-sis (the one that asked the Bipper question!) was smart enough to stand in line for it by 12 (I don't think it was until two) and as a result, she and I were the first non-VIPs to get seats! Score! It was really funny, because we both held our spot and occasionally switched out, and Sharon said that while she was walking down the MASSIVE line to see just how long it really was, the people kept giving her pitying looks because they were likely thinking 'poor thing, she's never gonna make it in', and she had to keep from smirking, because they had no way of knowing that she was first in line. 
> 
> Highlight of the entire weekend though, was seeing my tumblr blow up, reading your wonderful comments on the last chapter and crying, and (amazingly enough) actually getting to meet one of you guys at the con. Like, an actual fan of this fic, and I'm not ashamed to say that I kind of freaked out a lot when I found out. Like....that was just amazing. I have not forgotten you, dear fan, and I never will.
> 
> So...sorry for rambling. And sorry for the terribly long wait on this chapter. I hate doing this to you guys, and hopefully this long of a break between chapters will never happen again. 
> 
> Le photos: http://angelofmysteries.tumblr.com/post/130628700789/posting-photos-from-the-houston-comic-con-because


	15. Chapter 15

“HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Dipper woke up on the morning of July 30th to the excited squeals and exclamations of Mabel, who had apparently decided that it was a crime to want to stay in bed past seven.

He rolled over and plugged his ears with his pillow, curling into a ball. “Lemme sleep…” he groaned drowsily, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Dipper, we’re nineteen now!” his twin exclaimed, jumping onto his bed and shaking him excitedly. “You have to wake up ‘cause we’re gonna have an awesome party and everyone’s been invited and _oh my gosh we’re nineteen!”_

Dipper inhaled deeply, then let it out in a loud _whoosh_ of air. “...five more minutes,” he finally grumbled, burrowing deeper under the covers.

There was an impatient sigh from his twin, but she reluctantly got off his bed anyway. “Fine,” she replied, and Dipper could hear the pout in her tone. “You know, if you weren’t out all night with Will-”

His eyes shot open. “You know about that?” His voice was louder than he intended, suddenly wide awake and mortified at the thought. He rolled back over and sat up, looking at her and trying to keep his expression neutral.

She rolled her eyes. “At this point, who doesn’t? I mean, honestly, you two are so _obvious_! You should just ask him out already and be done with it.”

“Mabel, you _know_ why I’m not gonna do that,” Dipper mumbled, blushing and averting his gaze so she wouldn’t see.

She sighed, sounding almost impatient. “ _Whatever,_ Bro Bro. I think you’re seriously overreacting about all of this, but it’s not my place to tell you what to do.”

Dipper bit his lip to keep from telling her everything. He _wanted_ for her to be able to understand his reasoning, his hesitation to enter any relationships, but that would mean telling her the truth about everything that had happened with Wright. No matter what she may have thought of him now, it wasn’t worth ruining her day.

He offered her a small smile instead. “Maybe I’ll get the courage to ask him out tonight instead,” he said with a small shrug. “You know what they say about parties…”

His twin flicked him lightly on the forehead. “You better!” she teased lightly. “Or else I’ll ask him for you - and you won’t like my methods!”

With that, she got off his bed and retreated back to her side of the room. “I’m gonna shower before breakfast,” she told him, her dresser drawers rapidly opening and closing. “I suggest you do the same before all the party guests get here!”

He stuck his tongue out even though she couldn’t see. “I smell perfectly fine!” he complained, even though he more than likely _would_ take a shower at some point before the party. It started at one, right?

Footsteps sounded and then she was gone, the wide awake energy vanishing with her. Dipper sighed and fell back into his pillows, letting his eyes fall shut. It took a few minutes to gather the will to get out of bed, but he found that energy and excitement were quickly building once he did. It was their _birthday_ , and there was no time to waste!

Every year, he tried his best to make sure that their birthday was absolutely perfect. She normally handled the guest list and menu portion of their party, and he focused on the workings of it all and made sure that there was a backup plan if needed.

This year, he’d start with breakfast.

His last attempt at cooking had been more than a disaster, and he’d been promptly banned from the stove the instant he’d gotten it all cleaned up. He liked to think that skill came with maturity though; it had been a few years since the last attempt, and he’d matured plenty. Instant pancakes, given his mindset was correct, would be a breeze.

Once he was fully dressed, he made his way downstairs and was surprised to hear voices sounding from the dining room. The Stans both normally watched the news in the morning, so unless they were plotting, something was up.

The moment he stepped into the dining room, he immediately wished he never had.

His mom and dad, of all people, were sitting at the table with Grunkle Stan and Stanley. None of them were eating anything, which Dipper supposed was good for his plans, but still.

 _What in the everliving fuck were they doing here?_ He knew _he_ didn’t invite them, and he didn’t think that Mabel had either. Or...did she?

“Good morning Dipper,” his mom greeted warmly, setting down the coffee mug she’d been drinking from. “Happy birthday.”

For a moment, Dipper just stood there with wide eyes, his mouth slightly ajar in surprise. “Hi,” he said when the moment had passed, fully entering the room now. “And thanks. Uh...what’re you guys doing here?”

“Your great uncle invited us,” his dad answered in a neutral tone. Dipper glanced at Grunkle Stan for a moment to find that he was smiling just as everyone else was, but his eyes were guarded.

Why did _he_ invite their parents? Grunkle Stan knew about the trouble between Dipper and his father probably better than anyone else, so why?

“Did he?” Dipper voiced carefully, struggling to keep his voice impartial. A part of him wanted to _throttle_ his great uncle, and it took a moment for him to realize that it wasn’t entirely him that wanted it.

“Is your sister awake yet?” his father asked, as calmly ignorant as he had always been. “This day, after all, belongs to the both of you.”

“She’s showering,” Dipper replied curtly, the words bringing his focus back to what he wanted to accomplish in the first place. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was on my way to make breakfast.” He didn’t wait for a response and instead held his head high as he crossed through the room to the kitchen.

Once inside, however, his emotions swirled at the forefront of his mind. There was a small flutter of panic, accompanied by the rapid _thump-thump_ of his heart. Above that, though, was an almost overwhelming surge of pride. He had just stood up to his _father_ in a way, had dismissed his presence and gone about his day without so much as a second thought. After their last unlucky encounter, he hadn’t been entirely sure he could do that.

Now though, there were more pressing matters to attend to. He wanted to make sure that this birthday was as perfect as possible, and his twin would be delighted to see that he’d gone and made breakfast for her.

For Mabel, he’d even add in some edible glitter for once.

He began his search for the instant pancake mix, starting with the cupboards in the kitchen, then moving on to the small pantry. To his surprise, there wasn’t any to be found.

“I could have sworn we grabbed some the last time we went to the store though,” he muttered to himself, fruitlessly pushing a few boxes aside as if the pancake mix was hiding behind one of them. A small frown replaced the look of neutrality on his face and he bit down on his lip in thought.

“Guess I’ll have to try them from scratch,” he finally mused, his frown deepening. Instant pancakes would have been enough of a challenge, no matter how much he wanted to think it’d be easy, but pancakes from scratch were literally a recipe for disaster.

 _Lemme see…..I know I need flour,_ Dipper thought as he went back to the cupboards in search of ingredients. _But what else?_ He pulled out the flour, then bit his lip again. A moment later, the sugar followed.

“Good morning Dipper,” a soft, warm voice sounded from the doorway of the kitchen. He stifled a gasp of surprise and whirled around to see Will standing there, a small grin on his face. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, blushing and turning back to the counter. “Do you know if Mabel’s out of the shower yet?”

“She wasn’t in the dining room with everyone else a minute ago,” came Will’s response. “What are you doing anyway?”

“Trying to make some pancakes,” Dipper explained sheepishly. “I’ve never really made breakfast before, and I thought Mabel would enjoy it.”

“ _Trying_ being the key word, am I right?” Will asked, and Dipper glanced back to see that the elder teen was smirking. “What are you _doing?_ It’s your birthday; you should be out there, relaxing and talking to everyone else.”

He shrugged. “It’s...I dunno, kind of like a tradition of ours. Like trick or treating every year for Halloween...we do this together too. Normally, I try to do something nice for Mabel, and she does something nice for me by the end of the day too.”

“Move over,” Will said with a sigh. Dipper reluctantly did so, and his spot was immediately filled by the blond, the soft sound of humming beginning to fill the kitchen. Dipper marveled at how in his element William seemed to be, how happy he looked in the moment.

The elder teen reached up into the cupboards and pulled down the salt and a container of baking powder, then crossed the room to the fridge and retrieved milk, butter, and a few eggs.

“Have you not made pancakes from scratch before?” the blond asked lightly, though Dipper was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“No,” he replied anyway, for the sake of talking. “Normally, we just use the instant mix. And I’m normally banned from the kitchen.”

William tutted in disapproval, briefly leaving the ingredients in favor of grabbing a medium sized mixing bowl. “That’s gonna change today,” he remarked, his voice going momentarily husky as he reached up to grab the bowl and a measuring cup. “Luckily for you poor souls, pancakes are something I’ve mastered.”

Dipper rolled his eyes, though he smiled. “Teach away,” he quipped, stepping back a bowing mockingly. “I feel I should warn you though - it’s futile to try.”

“We’ll see about that,” the elder teen replied with a chuckle. He set the bowl on the counter and got straight to work, sifting together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

“Now here’s the fun part,” he started with a grin. “And to properly teach you, you’re gonna help me!”

Dipper raised an eyebrow in skeptic question, though he nodded and straightened. “It’s going to be your fault when the Shack burns down."

Will ignored his comment. “What you’re gonna need to do is make a nice little well in the center of all this,” he continued, creating a small hollow in the space indicated to demonstrate.

“You just did though,” he pointed out smugly.

The elder teen flashed him a quick grin. “I made a _small_ one,” he emphasized, gesturing to the bowl and its contents. “What you’re gonna do is make it bigger.”

“Fine,” Dipper huffed. He carefully stuck his hand into the bowl and parted the mixture of ingredients until the ‘well’ reached the bottom. “What now?”

“Crack an egg into the well,” William instructed, opening the carton and grabbing two. He handed one to Dipper, then cracked the other over the bowl with one hand. None of the small shards of eggshell went into the mix.

Dipper couldn’t help but stare at the blond, his mouth slack in awe. He’d seen eggs cracked like that on TV before on the cooking network, but those people were experts. So far as he knew, William was a normal teen.

“W-where’d you learn to do that?” he finally managed to ask. He bit his lip and cracked the egg on the side of the counter, then split it over the bowl.

“I know plenty of things,” the blond replied, shrugging. He poured some milk into the measuring cup, then over the eggs in the ‘well’. “My uh...father, he used to be a chef. Taught me most of what I know. It’s been awhile of course, but…” the thought trailed off, the room falling into a silence.

“What next?” Dipper prompted quietly when it became apparent that Will wasn’t going to finish his previous sentence.

“Right!” William exclaimed, shaking his head a little and flashing a grin. “Go ahead and melt the butter in the microwave for me real quick, then we’ll pour it in here too.”

Dipper nodded and did as he was told, intently listening for the sound of Mabel as he waited for the butter to melt. He _really_ wanted to surprise her with this, and it wouldn’t do for her to find out before it was ready.

 _Though, I suppose it’ll be blown the second she smells the food anyway,_ he mused contently, stopping the microwave and carefully taking the bowl out. He carried it over to where Will was waiting in a few slow steps, then proceeded to let the blond do the rest of the work. Before the pancakes ever made it to the stove though, Dipper grabbed the glitter from one of the cupboards and added it into the mix.

“Because Mabel likes her pancakes sparkly,” he explained when he saw the perplexed expression on Will’s face. “And I can put up with it for our birthday.”

“You’re really devoted to Mabel’s happiness,” William murmured thoughtfully a little while later as he flipped a pancake.

Dipper shrugged in response. “I’ve always been,” he replied in just as quiet of a tone. Mabel had come downstairs a few finished pancakes in, but by some miracle, she’d stayed out of the kitchen so far.

“There a particular story behind that?”

“Nah...I’m her brother, so it only makes sense that I take care of her.” he replied easily, picking up one of the finished pancakes and taking a bite of it. Though it really shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to him, it tasted wonderful. “This is really good.”

“Keep your hands off my pancakes!” the elder teen scolded, smacking Dipper’s hand lightly with the spatula. “And I’m just saying, it’s kind of weird. You two get along too well.”

Dipper took another bite of the stolen pancake to spite his friend. “At one point, we didn’t get along so well,” he said slowly after he swallowed. “It took almost losing Mabel for me to realize how much I really loved her.”

There was silence for a few moments as Will placed the newly finished pancake on the top of the decently sized stack, then poured the rest of the batter into the pan. “Makes sense,” he hummed in response. “It’s just kind of odd, the lengths you’ll go to ensure her happiness and safety.”

Dipper shrugged again. “I don’t find it odd at all,” he said, and that was the end of the conversation.

He wasn’t sure at the moment if he should have been offended by the possible implications of what William was saying, but at the same time he could hardly care less. He had his own reasons for wanting to make sure Mabel lived the best life possible, and he wasn’t about to let anyone say anything to make him even _consider_ changing the way he regarded her. If he was being perfectly honest with himself, everyone else in his life was temporary, able to be dropped at a moment’s notice. Mabel was more permanent than that, had been since the summer they’d learned that they only had one chance at living.

William thankfully didn’t say anything else though, and breakfast was finished in the next few minutes.

“You shouldn’t have,” Mabel told him lightly with a small smile when he brought the pancakes into the dining room. Will followed him silently, carrying some plates and forks. A bottle of maple syrup balanced precariously atop the small pile in the blonde’s arms.

“Happy nineteenth,” he told her cheerfully in response as he set the plate of pancakes down in the center of the table.

“Did you have to make the pancakes sparkly?” his mother questioned in disdain, accepting a plate and fork from Will.

The blond answered the question before Dipper got a chance to, eyebrows raised in a way that created a seemingly innocent facade. “Do you not like the looks of them? Mabel loves it when her pancakes are glittery, and I have to agree that it makes them look quite attractive. I thought she might like to have them for her birthday.”

Dipper was about to object to Will taking credit for his idea, but a sharp glance from the elder teen granted him understanding. William was taking the fall for him - or rather, not letting _anyone_ take the fall.

His parents would have been more than happy to continue complaining about the glittery pancakes until he apologized if he had been the one to take credit for the idea. As it was, however, he hadn’t been fast enough and his parents would never think to lower themselves to criticizing a guest outside of their own home.

Breakfast commenced without any further negativity from the twins’ parents, the room taking on a light and warm atmosphere. Everyone made small talk as they ate, and Dipper happily found that it was his chance to boast about everything he was learning about running a business, without the cost of formal schooling. His father, at the very least, seemed to grudgingly accept the validity of what Dipper was saying.

Mabel and his mother went into the kitchen after breakfast was done to wash the dishes, leaving Dipper to begin the next phase of the day.

“It looks like rain,” William murmured as they stepped outside, and sure enough, grey clouds stretched across the expanse of the sky.

Dipper bit his lip. He hadn’t thought to watch the forecast for the week, which had clearly been a mistake.

“We’ll set up for the party anyway,” he decided after a solid minute of running worst case scenarios through his head. “I think we have a canopy stored somewhere in the shack. The food and entertainment tables can go under it. If the rain looks like it’s gonna hit hard, we’ll move the party inside.”

“The canopy contradicts the second half of the plan,” Will pointed out with a grin. “But okay, we’ll do things your way. Does that mean we’re going to have to decorate both the inside _and_ the outside?”

Dipper nodded, and they got to work. To their luck, there were _two_ canopies in the storage room of the shack that used to house the wax figures. Decorating took up most of the morning, and by the time he and Will had finished, Dipper was glad that he had forgone taking a shower earlier that morning.

While William flitted about with last minute streamers and glitter bombs, Dipper sent off a text to Pacifica to question if she was still bringing the cake. A few minutes passed, then his phone pinged with her confirmation.

Dipper smiled to himself. Despite the muggy air and clouds overhead that spoke of coming danger, it seemed that things were going to work in his favor for once.

* * *

It was a good few minutes past one when Dipper finally made his way downstairs and outside to join his family and friends. He didn’t really care that he was late to his own party though. Mabel could more than entertain the guests in the worst case, and he didn’t give two shits about what his parents would think.

It _was_ his party, after all.

Music blared from the speakers that had been set up under the canopy earlier. The few adults in attendance were all in a cluster, presumably reminiscing on the older days or something. Mabel was in her natural element in the middle of the lawn, dancing along to the music with her friends. Briefly, Dipper wondered where Will was. Dipper had expected him to be hanging out with the rest of the teens, but the blond was nowhere to be found.

He opted to stay kind of off to the side as he was for the time being, taking everything in while simultaneously searching for any signs of his best friend. So focused was he, that he didn’t notice his father had left the group of adults until his voice rang out from Dipper’s side.

“I’d like to talk to you,” his father stated plainly.

He emitted a small shriek of surprise and whirled around to face his father, shaking his head quickly to compose himself before speaking. “What about?” he asked, his tone light but guarded.

His father, as usual, had predicted his response and was one step ahead. “Just wanting to talk. Little things, nothing of consequence.”

“Sure,” Dipper agreed, careful to keep his tone neutral despite the excitement that was already beginning to fill him.

_“You remember everything I’ve told you about the town called Gravity Falls?” Dipper’s father asked slowly after a long moment of silence._

_“Well, yes… But...what does that town have to do with Dipper’s birthmark?”_

He’d been waiting for this opportunity to confront his father ever since he saw that memory. A chance to _finally_ find out the true origins of the constellation on his forehead. He had to be careful, though. His dad finding out about Bill Cipher was probably the worst thing that could happen, and any mention of the paranormal would more than likely only make his father refuse to talk to him.

“Do you maybe wanna go walk through the woods while we talk?” he asked casually, gesturing at the treeline. “Gravity Falls is really pretty, and I often find that walking around out here helps me relax.” _Plus, it’ll be more private,_ he added mentally. If he focused on things that made him sound normal, his father might be more willing to share secrets - even more so if it were just the two of them.

They wouldn’t go in too deep of course, given the danger that lurked within. Few only _knew_ what creatures stirred in the woods, not to mention the “fires” that had been occurring throughout the summer.

“That sounds nice,” Dipper’s father said with a nod, surprising the teen. “It’s been several years since I’ve been in this town, and there’s no doubt that it’s... _changed_ in my absence.”

Dipper caught the inflection in his father’s tone and wondered at the implications of it, but he had no time to ask as his dad started off towards the woods.

“How has the summer been treating you so far?” his father asked as they crossed over into the treeline.

Dipper found himself nodding thoughtfully as he paced his steps to match his dad’s, the question searing itself into his mind. “It hasn’t been too bad,” he replied honestly, the words coming to him easily. _I mean, dream demon drama aside, settling into home has given me more peace than any year of high school back in Piedmont ever did._ “I’ve been researching a bit around here, and learning how to run the shack. The right way,” he added hastily, upon catching the dubious glance his father sent his way. “Grandpa Stanley is making sure Great Uncle Stan is teaching me the morals a good business owner should have.” That was a lie, but what his father believed wouldn’t hurt him.

“I’m to take it that you won’t be going to Harvard then?” his dad questioned with a small sigh that almost sounded _resigned_ , rather than disgusted.

Dipper shook his head, his smile becoming more genuine. This was going _really_ well so far, and his relationship with his father could even marginally improve if things kept going the way they were. “I apologize, but no. I’m learning everything I need to know, and at no cost to me _or_ the family.”

“I’m not saying they’re bad people,” his father began in a tone that suggested the words were likely a lie, “but I don’t exactly trust their teaching methods.”

Dipper bit back the words he wanted to say, wanting to keep the peace intact for as long as possible. “If it would help console you, with the money I’ve earned working over the summer, I could pick up some online classes.” _Which, really, might not be the worst idea._

It appeased his father though, who gave a short nod. “Do so.”

Dipper bristled with anger at the words, but his dad was one step ahead as usual, and clearing his throat to speak again before the teen could get a word in edgewise.

“And how have your _social_ relations been fairing?”

Dipper almost paused in his steps, the blood draining from his face. Was this how it was going to go down? Lulled into a false sense of security, only to have it ripped away from him in the blink of an eye?

He cleared his throat and quickly stepped forward, determined to show his father that he wasn’t fazed by the question. “They’ve been going well,” he ventured cautiously, inhaling slowly through his nose to calm his racing heart. “I patched things up with Wendy, and I’ve made a few friends in town.” The first, at least, wasn’t a lie. _Does he suspect about Will though?_

His father only nodded though, seemingly in approval. “If you’re interested, I know of some people upstate that are looking to form a partnership with the Mystery Shack.”

 _Other tourist trap leaders looking to fuck us over,_ Dipper thought, grinning wryly. “I’ll look into it,” he replied, secretly intending to do no such thing. _I wonder what Bill would ask for, in exchange for getting those guys to leave me alone…?_

“I’m not going to lie, I’m surprised you’re jumping straight into owning a business fresh out of high school,” Dipper’s father stated simply, his gaze sweeping around the woods. Off in the distance, thunder sounded. “It’s a bold move, for only just now turning nineteen.”

“I’m almost what one would call a real adult though,” Dipper countered easily, keeping his tone in check. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy to not have all the burdens of _true_ adulthood placed on me yet, but I feel as if running the Shack is something I’m prepared for.”

To Dipper’s surprise, his father smiled. “From the way Stanford has been talking here recently, it’s going to be yours pretty soon. He seems impressed with your work.”

 _Is it?_ Dipper wondered curiously, but he didn’t question his father’s words. “I’m happy to be doing so well with this,” he murmured, looking down at the ground. _Are they going to give me the shack today? Can that be what he means?_

He forced himself to quit dwelling on what could very well be a lie, and instead focused on the reason he’d been so eager to talk to his father in the first place.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something, actually,” he began slowly, glancing over at his dad. He shoved his hands into his pockets and slowed his pace marginally, almost as if it would help relay the importance of his question. “About - about my birthmark. I know you know something about it, and I want you to tell me what that is.”

His dad paused in his steps, a surefire sign that the memory Dipper had seen was _right_ and that it wasn’t just something conjured up by Bill to mess with him. That fact reassured him, gave him the confidence to continue. “I feel like, as an emerging adult, I at least have the _right_ to know, considering that it’s going to be on my face for the rest of my life.”

Finally, his father spoke. “I will admit, you caught me off guard. I won’t ask how you found out either. I probably don’t want to know. As it is, this is not a subject that is open to discussion.”

Wait, _what?_ “Why not?” he blurted out, stopping in his tracks. _This just_ proves _that he has something to hide! What, though? And why?_

“My decision is final,” his father replied coldly, turning to face him. Any kindness he’d held previously disappeared, chilling Dipper’s blood. “I think it’s time we return to the shack.”

“I wanna know why you won’t answer the question!” Dipper snapped, and though he knew it was childish, he crossed his arms and glared. “What the fuck happened that’s so bad that you can’t even tell me?! I know it has something to do with this town and the supernatural properties it holds, and I _know_ you know the full story!”

His father sighed harshly. “ _This_ again?” he questioned in disdain. “Dipper, just stop with all of this _nonsense_ already. I had hoped that you would have grown out of this phase by now. The supernatural is _not real_.” He ended the sentence in a hiss, his eyes narrowing in contempt.

Despite Dipper’s best attempts to hold strong, tears still sprang to his eyes from his father’s barbed words. It was even worse now that he had felt what it could be like to be in his father’s good graces, and deep down he _knew_ this had been the goal.

“It is too,” he argued, though he knew it was pointless. “I know you know that it is, your tone gave it away earlier. Why can’t you just _admit it_?”

“There’s nothing to admit,” his father asserted, his tone warning. “ _Really_ , Dipper, these childish fantasies are getting old.”

 _They’re not fantasies,_ Dipper wanted to scream. He wanted _so badly_ to prove it to him, but even then...his father would never listen. The fact resonated within him, steeled his emotions.

No matter what Dipper did or said, it would never be enough for his father. His dad wanted to mold him into a mirror image of himself, a successful businessman with only the best education and a family to support. Surprisingly enough, he was okay with it. The words were still a blow for him to hear of course, but he had faced them before. And in the end, especially when dealing with his father, they really were just words. They couldn’t hurt him if he didn’t feel anything for them.

Dipper allowed a small smile to cross over his lips, mirroring the sudden _lightness_ he felt at this new revelation. “I didn’t ask for your opinion on the subject anyway,” he said without thinking about the weight behind what he was saying. “I only wanted you to tell me the truth for once.” He shrugged, turning to go back to the party. “I’ll just find it out for myself.”

He started off toward the shack, not caring about what his father was indignantly spluttering after him, nor if he was following behind. Dipper had more _important_ things to worry about, like if they’d already brought the cake out (highly unlikely, given that he wasn’t there), or if Mabel was ready to begin opening presents. He was super excited to see what Mabel had gotten him, as excited as he was for Mabel to see what _he’d_ gotten _her_.

He stepped out of the woods to find William waiting for him, a tense expression on his face. The music had been paused, and it didn’t look like anyone else was outside. “How did it go?” the blond asked lowly the second he saw Dipper, something that looked akin to anger flashing in his eyes.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Dipper murmured, stepping forward and slipping his hand into Will’s.

“Everyone went inside,” William murmured as they walked toward the house. “Because of the thunder. They worried that it was going to rain.”

“The sound system and everything is still out here,” Dipper pointed out. He could hear his father’s footsteps a small distance away, and he laced his fingers through Will’s in a small act of defiance. He smirked.

“I cast a protective enchantment on the area around the system,” the elder teen breathed, an air of amusement slipping into his tone. He gave Dipper’s hand a small squeeze. “So even if it rains, nothing bad will happen to it.”

Dipper nodded to show he understood. “You weren’t here earlier,” he stated curiously, almost in the form of a question, as they reached the back porch.

For a moment, William smirked. “Tell you later,” he mocked.

“Okay,” Dipper agreed as they stepped inside and shut the door behind them. For all he cared, his father could let himself in. They were immediately greeted with exclamations from their friends and Dipper’s family, and Dipper found himself relaxing almost immediately.

“Right on time Bro Bro!” Mabel exclaimed, beaming. “I was about ready to open all the presents without you!”

“It’s a good thing I got here then,” Dipper responded teasingly, letting go of Will’s hand and walking over to where she was sitting at the table. He gave her a quick kiss on the head, then sat down across from her.

“Sooo….” Mabel drawled under her breath, grinning devilishly. “I saw you holding hands with William. What’s going on with that?”

“Nothing yet,” Dipper muttered back, blushing. Mabel wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but didn’t say anything else about it.

Fortunately for him, the rest of the party had decided to move on to opening the presents now that he had arrived. He was grateful for the interlude it provided, as well as a chance for him to think.

Dipper opened his presents slowly to take the time to admire and properly appreciate them. He’d gotten a bottle of ink and a few quills from Pacifica, a couple of leather-bound books from Stanley, a camera from his parents, and a present from Grunkle Stan that he was instructed not to open until the day the Shack officially became his.

He looked across the table to check on Mabel‘s progress to see that she had already finished and was looking over at his gifts in admiration. Her pile of presents was slightly larger than his, but it wasn’t something that he minded because she was about to start school and he wasn’t. For all he knew, her presents likely consisted of things she’d be needing for class.

She’d received something called a fashionary from their parents, an Intuos drawing tablet from Pacifica, Candy had gotten her an artist brush/stylus to go along with the drawing tablet, and Grenda and Marius gave her a new sewing machine, equipped with everything she could ever possibly need.

Finally, only their gifts to one another remained. Mabel shyly pulled a long box that had been expertly wrapped from her sweater pocket and pushed it across the table to him, her head tilting in a silent question.

Dipper grinned and stood. “I need to go get yours,” he explained, then dashed out of the room and headed for the lab three floors under.

He’d spent what little spare time he’d had the past few weeks in the lab, modifying a strange plant he’d found in the forest until finally managing to make it do what he wanted.

Mabel was going to _love_ it.

He carefully retrieved the pot and started back up the steps, making sure not to set off any of the silvery bulbs that dangled precariously from their stems. The moment he stepped out from behind the vending machine, he carefully maneuvered the plant so it was hiding behind his back.

“I’m back~” Dipper sang cheerfully as he stepped back into the room, watching Mabel’s expression carefully for her reaction. At first, it was puzzled.

“I spy something green,” she teased as he stepped up to stand in front of her, a dorky grin on his lips. “You gonna show me what it is, or leave me guessing?”

Dipper pulled out the plant and proudly set it on the table in front of her, gesturing to it. “Ta da!”

“A plant?” Mabel questioned, her tone bordering between confusion and amusement. “You got me a plant?”

“Not just _any_ plant,” Dipper explained, sitting down in his spot again. He picked up his present, but didn’t open it yet in favor of gauging Mabel’s reaction. “I genetically modified it to be a literal glitter bomb. So don’t touch any of the bulbs, or else they’ll explode and make a mess. And I don’t want to be the one stuck cleaning it up.”

His twin nodded excitedly and gently pushed the plant to the side of the table, gesturing to the box in his hands. “Open it!”

Dipper chuckled and set the box down onto the table, carefully picking at the wrapping paper until he uncovered another long, slender box, one meant for jewelry. His eyes narrowed in curiosity. Mabel had gotten him a necklace?

“Open it already,” Mabel urged, grinning somewhat manically. “Come _on_ Bro Bro!”

He slowly took the top of the box off and pulled out the necklace, ignoring the few gasps of awe around them in favor of studying the gift. The necklace was made up of iron chainlinks, and had an eight pointed star pendant with a clear stone in the center.

“This looks beautiful Mabel,” he told her, holding it up for the rest of the room to see. He could hear small murmurs of agreement, but those didn’t matter. He was more focused on why she’d given him the necklace, and he knew that she knew it. He didn’t get a chance to ask her though, before William was by his side and tugging on his free hand.

“Come on,” the blond murmured lowly. “I wanna give you and Mabel your presents now. Alone, though. These aren’t something anyone else can see.”

Dipper nodded and stood, motioning for Mabel to come with. She nodded to show she understood, then pushed her chair back and stood up. “We’ll be back soon,” he announced absentmindedly, grabbing the box for the necklace and following William out of the room.

“Where are we going?” Mabel asked curiously. “Pacifica was wanting to ask me something, and I’d feel horrible if I just left her hanging.”

“You can go back to her in a few minutes,” the blond answered dismissively as he started up the stairs to their bedroom. “I wanted to give you both your presents in private. They’re gifts that the others wouldn’t understand, and that your parents would scorn. I figured you’d both appreciate the discreetness.”

There was silence until they were all three standing in the twins’ bedroom, and even when William spoke, Dipper had to focus hard to make out what he was saying.

“What I’m about to show the both of you, you can never tell another soul about.”

Dipper’s heart fluttered in curiosity as he nodded eagerly. “I promise,” he vowed, drawing an X over his chest.

“It’s not something dangerous, is it?” Mabel questioned, and Dipper glanced over at her to see that her eyes were narrowed and that she was biting her lip. Briefly, he wondered why she would ask that. William was their friend, and he wouldn’t do anything that would ever harm them.

He wouldn’t, right?

The elder teen was relaxed though, and that in turn made Dipper relax. “Not in the slightest, S-” the blond cut himself off, then smiled and continued on. “Seriously. What I’m going to give you, Mabel, has some very high magical properties. That’s why you can’t tell anyone. There are things out there that would do anything to get their hands on what I’m about to give you.”

Will reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a simple necklace with a star shaped locket. He stepped behind Mabel swiftly and put it on her, then stepped back in front.

“It’s really pretty,” Mabel complimented, holding up the locket and staring at with a puzzled expression. “Uhm...how is this magical?”

Dipper chuckled then, at the irony of the situation. They’d both gotten a necklace for their birthday, and now Mabel knew how he’d felt about getting one from her.

“You’ll find out in time,” Will responded lightly, ruffling her hair affectionately. “When you’re lost, this will help you find your way.”

She perked up at that. “So it’s like a compass?”

“No.”

“Then-”

“ _You’ll find out_ ,” the blond stressed. “Now, didn’t you say Paz wanted to talk to you? You should _go_ , before your girlfriend gets upset.”

Mabel blushed and indignantly flipped him the bird. “She’s not my girlfriend,” she muttered.

“Yet,” Dipper teased.

“Fuck you,” his twin retorted, glaring at him mockingly. “I’m leaving now.”

“Wait!” Dipper exclaimed, all traces of joking gone in an instant. He held up his own necklace. “I...like it, I guess, but why did you get me this?”

There was silence for a few moments, until Mabel bit her lip and responded. “It’s...it’s very important. It also has some supernatural properties, and I guess it’s supposed to kind of protect you? I-I don’t really know too much about it, but it’s supposed to be able to save a life.”

Dipper’s eyes narrowed in a mix of suspicion and interest. “How did you find this then?” he asked levelly, letting the hand clutching the necklace fall back down to his side. “I wouldn’t think anyone would be advertising about having this kind of item in their possession.”

"Uhm...remember the day you found me in the tree in the woods?” Mabel asked, smiling brightly though her eyes were filled with uncertainty. “It, um, glinted in the sunlight and caught my eye, so I scaled the tree and nabbed it from a bird’s nest.”

Dipper opened his mouth to question how she knew what it would do, but she cut him off before he could speak with an exclamation of how Pacifica was waiting, then dashed out of the room, leaving Dipper and Will alone.

“Do you know?” he asked the elder teen hopefully, but the blond shook his head.

“I’ll look into it tomorrow,” Will promised, laying a hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “Until then...I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.”

“You haven’t,” Dipper agreed neutrally, locking his gaze onto Will’s. After a gift as supposedly spectacular as Mabel’s star locket, he wondered what the elder teen had gotten for him.

The blonde’s cheeks turned pink though and he removed his hand and coughed, scuffing a foot against the floor awkwardly. “I-uh, I wasn’t really too sure what to get you,” he explained, looking down at the ground. “Gift giving...it’s never been much of a forte of mine. People don’t normally like the things I try to give them. But...I had this thought about you and what you might like. If you want it of course,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

“What is it?” Dipper questioned, his heart beating a bit faster at the thought of all the possibilities.

Will looked back up at him, precariousness and vulnerability in his expression, reflected in his eye. “Well...I-I thought maybe-” he cut himself off, blushing furiously. “You know what, never mind. It’s really stupid.”

Dipper tilted his head slightly as he studied his friend, realization hitting a moment later. William was very rarely this flustered, and the blush connected with the anxiety and his mention of Dipper needing to want the gift...Will wanted to give him something _intimate_ , but wasn’t going to force Dipper into it and was too shy apparently to even ask.

“ _Oh_ …” Dipper breathed, affection surging within him at the revelation. “You- Will, I- I’m so flattered.”

“It’s _nothing_ ,” the blond insisted in a surprisingly fierce tone, his expression morphing into a small glare. “The idea was stupid anyway, and I’ll just think of something else to get you.”

“Alright,” Dipper carefully agreed, taking a small step back to give the blond some space. He couldn’t help but think that the situation was odd though. William snapping at him like that was a rare occurrence, and he’d never seemed so bent out of shape over something as little as giving Dipper physical affection. “Don’t worry about it then. Your friendship is a gift enough to me.”

Thinking of gifts, though, brought a thought Dipper had briefly had earlier to the forefront of his mind. He appreciated that his friend had been thoughtful enough to give Mabel some magical form of protection and whatnot, but how had he gotten it? He didn’t know that he had voiced the thought aloud until William was answering, his tone shifting into a light and mysterious one.

“Trust me, Dipper Pines,” the elder teen murmured silkily, sending a chill down the brunet’s spine. “I have some friends in _very_ high places.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Monday, everyone =D
> 
> So, I may have fucked up a little. Entropy runs on a slight timeline that I've mapped out very carefully, and the date of the twins' birthday is officially incorrect, thus throwing this fic officially into the AU/Canon Divergence category. (Tho, really, I think it's been there the whole time TBH)
> 
> Happy NaNoWriMo everyone! Since I'm participating (wish me luck!), I'm dropping off the face of this planet until 11:59 PM November 30th. I'll still be on Tumblr occasionally to post writing logs and answer any potential asks, as well as flitting around on here to keep up with all the fics I'm actually subscribed to. On a wonderfully high note, updates in December will be on Thursdays, that way you guys can have five chapters instead of four =)
> 
> Uhm....I'm really sorry. I hope you've enjoyed the fluff you got in this chapter, cause it's gone next. Like, for a while.
> 
> As a final note, Eiris is bae, no matter what she thinks of herself otherwise <3 (She's writing a fic called Stability is Relative - I highly recommend it, and not just because I'm betaing it!)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, so as not to confuzzle anyone - this chapter takes place a couple of weeks after the last one =)

"I'm really going to miss you Mabes," Dipper said softly as he helped his sister pack. "Promise me you'll remember me when you're making it big?"

Mabel giggled in response, throwing a sweater at his face. He caught it before it could reach its intended destination, staring down at the pattern that was stitched onto the front. It was her favorite sweater, the pink one with the shooting star on it.

"I'll call you every night Bro Bro," she promised, holding out a pinkie to him. "And if not every night, at least three times a week. And we'll skype!"

Dipper curled his pinkie around Mabel’s, smiling tenderly at his twin. “Make sure you’re focused on your classes too though,” he warned. “ULA is a pretty expensive school, and I don’t want the chance to go to waste for you.”

“Pfft. As and if!” Mabel scoffed, flicking her hand in a sort of half wave of dismissal. “Even if I don’t pay attention in class, I know a _bit_ more about fashion than the average joe. It’ll be easy!”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Dipper teased warmly, grinning at his sister’s antics.

“I’ll have Paz to keep me in line too,” she reminded him, glaring in faux anger. “So you really don’t need to be too worried.”

“ _Riiight,”_ Dipper drawled, smirking. “You’re going to be living in your girlfriend’s condo _with_ said girlfriend, and you seriously think you’re going to be able to focus on your studies? Maybe when pigs fly, Mabel.”

“Waddles did that one time!”

“Mabel, he was pignapped by a pterodactyl. That hardly counts.”

Finally his sister huffed and turned slightly away from him, a faux sulky pout on her face. “You know, there _is_ more than one way to be a good little schoolgirl Dipper,” she teased, foregoing the pout in favor a small grin. “Or at least, I should hope that you would know after-”

“Okay!” Dipper blurted out, heat rushing to his cheeks. “You’re not worried about school then. Got it.” He cleared his throat and shifted his features into something more serious. “But anyway, if you ever need anything at all, _call me_. Like, anything Mabel, even if it’s just a math problem or something because-”

“I _get_ it,” Mabel emphasized, smiling brightly at him. Barely a moment had passed before his twin was enfolding him in a bone-crushing hug. “But you don’t need to worry about me, Bro Bro. I’ll have Paz, and she’ll make sure I’m taken care of. I trust her. And, if it’s any consolation, the locket Will gave me on our birthday is tucked away in my bag.”

Dipper hugged her back, burying his face in her hair so she wouldn’t see the unnerved expression his features held. “That won’t stop me,” he mumbled, his voice thick. “Paz can’t be there every second of the day, and Los Angeles is a dangerous place Mabes. So much can happen, and I-”

“I _said_ , I have the locket William gave me,” Mabel stressed, stepping out of the embrace and running a hand through his hair reassuringly. “If you’d like, I can put it on before I leave. Will said it would guide me, and I’m guessing he meant through danger too.”

“But that doesn’t garun-”

“Dipper!” Mabel barked, snapping a finger in face. He promptly shut up, and she went on. “ _Stop fretting._ I know you’re just trying to be a good brother, but you’re beginning to irritate me. Calm down, or I’m kicking you out of here so I can pack in peace.”

“Fine,” Dipper acquiesced, beginning to fold up the pink sweater she’d thrown at him.

“You’re keeping that one,” his twin said before he could place the shirt in the box. She flashed him a big smile when his expression turned to one of confusion. “That way _you_ won’t forget about _me_.”

His face softened. “This is your favorite sweater though.”

“And now I’m giving it to you,” his twin said pointedly. “Go put it away and finish helping me pack.”

“If you hadn’t unpacked every single box when we got here this summer,” he teased good-naturedly as he crossed the room to his dresser. He gently tucked the pink sweater in with all of his shirts, making sure that it was protected and hidden from any prying eyes.

“The room needed my personality, and you know it!” Mabel boasted in retaliation, sticking out her tongue playfully. “It’s the end of summer, and you _still_ have a couple of boxes shoved to the back of the closet!”

He rolled his eyes. “So Bipper and I might have missed a couple. Once the Shack is mine, I’m probably going to move into a different bedroom and make this my study anyway.”

“Which room do you think you’re going to take?” his twin asked him curiously, her eyes lighting up. “And are you gonna redecorate everything? Cause if you are, you’re _so_ inviting me and Paz to come help!”

“I might.” Dipper shrugged, returning to helping her fold her various sweaters. “I’m not too sure what I’m going to do yet.”

“You’re going to have William move in, right?” she teased, reaching over and plucking a purple sweater from his grasp. He rolled his eyes and nabbed a green one from the pile on her bed.

“Mabel, he already lives here.”

“Not _in_ here though!” she protested, flicking the side of his head softly. “He’s all alone in some small cottage-y type thing on the edge of the property. You guys can’t be boyfriends and not live together!”

“We’re not boyfriends,” Dipper muttered in chagrin. “Nothing’s official Mabel, and I’m not going to fuck everything up by asking it to be.”

“You two spend a lot of time holed up in his room and out in the woods though,” Mabel pointed out, grinning. “You can’t lie to me Dipper; I know what you two are getting up to.”

Again, Dipper rolled his eyes. True, they did do certain things when they were alone in the blond’s room, but they spent the majority of their alone time practicing magic and trying to solve the mystery of the woods.

“Whatever you wanna think Mabes,” he murmured, only to appease her. “I’ll consider it.”

In all honesty, he probably _would_ invite Will to come live inside the shack with him. It was starting to get colder outside, and the blond’s cottage didn’t have any sources of heat as far as he could tell. He wouldn’t force anything though; the final decision would have to be Will’s.

Dipper and Mabel spent the majority of the morning packing and making small talk, occasionally shifting to the more serious topic of the looming future. By the time the last box was securely taped shut, Dipper wanted to cry.

“It won’t be so bad!” Mabel tried to reassure him as they made their way downstairs. She slung an arm around his shoulders and flicked his ear playfully. “Just think about it - you’ll be making millions with the mystery tours and your writing, and I’ll be a world-known fashion designer!”

“That’s not helping any,” he muttered thickly, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You’re still going to be _gone_ , Mabel.”

She heaved a small sigh. “I know.” Her voice was quiet and solemn, all playfulness gone. “Dipper, to be honest...I’m terrified of the future. We’ve never been apart before. What if something bad happens to _you_? I won’t be here to get your ass out of trouble, and Will won’t always be there for you.”

He almost smiled at the irony of the situation. “I’ll be okay,” he murmured in reassurance. “And I’m going to have to trust that you’ll be fine too, Mabel. We’ve both learned so much from being here in Gravity Falls, and I just need to remember that you can hold your own.”

His twin grinned, and he knew that he’d eased her worries. “The same goes to you Bro Bro,” she asserted. “I still haven’t forgotten the way you took down Gideon when he tried taking over the town.”

“Yeah…” Dipper murmured, but his mind was already thoughtful. Was the brat still in prison? Or had he gotten bailed out sometime in the past six years?

“I smell cookies,” Mabel hummed, smirking. “First one to the kitchen calls dibs.” She immediately broke away from their embrace and raced to the kitchen.

Dipper let her go ahead. Today was their last day together, and it wasn’t a big deal for her to win this once.

Besides, he had a couple more important things to think about than beating her in a race for snacks.

He walked into the kitchen to find that Mabel had set a glass of milk and a small plate with a few cookies out for him already, and she herself was busy munching on what was likely her second.

“Thanks,” he murmured with a small smile, picking up a cookie and dunking it into the milk. “Do you know who made these?”

Mabel held up a single finger and swallowed before she spoke. “I think Grunkle Stan might have said something about it the other day to Lee.”

Dipper nodded and ate his cookie. It didn’t come as much of a surprise that Stan had been behind this. It went without guessing that he’d always held a soft spot for Mabel in his heart, and he’d likely wanted to give her one last present before she left. He wasn’t jealous though, not really. Stan had done his best with Dipper, but he’d always been weirder and he found that he learned better under Grandpa Lee.

The twins munched on their cookies for a few minutes in silence, neither one wanting to bring up the inevitable. Pacifica had said she’d be there around two, and there was about fifteen minutes until then.

“I guess we’d better go get your boxes downstairs,” Dipper murmured when they had finished and they had only a few minutes left. William had somewhere to be that day, so they’d be on their own for this.

“Okay,” Mabel agreed, her tone soft and not nearly as happy as he’d expected it to be.

Guilt filled him. Today was supposed to be a special day for Mabel, and he’d gone and mucked it up by being a worrywart and moping around.

“Cheer up,” he told her as they carried boxes downstairs. “It could be worse, you know. You could be going out of the country to live with some horrible king or something. You could be getting married to the gnomes.”

 _That_ got her to respond. She shuddered and nudged him with the box she was holding, almost making him stumble and fall down the rest of the stairs. “Dipper! Don’t _ever_ say something like that again!” She was laughing though, and her lifted spirits were enough to make him feel better.

“Northwest is here!” Grunkle Stan called from the porch. “So you two had better be done!”

“I guess this is it,” Dipper murmured with a sigh, setting his box down on the floor. “There’s only a couple more left to grab; I’ll go ahead and get them. You go greet Paz and tell her I’ll be there in a minute.”

If Mabel responded, he didn’t hear it. He had been starting back up the steps almost immediately after he dropped off his box, not in the mood to confront having to say goodbye to her.

It was better if he got the last of the boxes anyway. Pacifica would more than likely want to say hi to Mabel and as happy as he was that they were going out now, there were just some things that he didn’t want to intrude on. Their intimacy being the top one.

He stacked the last couple of boxes on top of one another, making sure to wait a couple of minutes before actually picking them up and carrying them downstairs. To his surprise, Mabel and Pacifica were waiting for him.

“What took you so long?” Pacifica asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. “Another minute more and Mabel would have sent me up there to see if you were still alive!”

“Good to see you too,” Dipper murmured in amusement, starting down the steps as slowly as possible. If one box were to topple at any point, he’d die of embarrassment. “I had to make sure Mabel really grabbed everything, that’s all.”

“So you snooped around her half of the room then?” the blonde challenged as Mabel burst out laughing. “I’ll have you know Dipper Pines, that that was really rude.”

“She means to say thank you,” Mabel input before Dipper could say anything else. “And she wants you to apologize for taking so long.”

Dipper huffed and stuck out his tongue, but complied with Northwest’s demands and mumbled a quick apology. Had she and Mabel rehearsed that? He snorted in derision. He certainly wouldn’t put it past either of the two.

“Let’s just get going,” he said, forcing his tone into a lighter one. His mood was beginning to plunge as the day went on, but there was no way in hell that he’d let it affect Mabel. He could save his tears for when she was gone. “We wouldn’t want to make anyone late to getting to LA. I’d feel more comfortable if you guys got there before sundown.”

Pacifica nodded in approval, grabbing one of the boxes from Dipper as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “Makes sense. Sergio will be coming with us to fulfill our every need, including our safety, but thanks anyway.”

Dipper nodded back in semi-relief. Pacifica was a dear friend and he knew that he could trust her, but it made him feel tons better knowing that Mabel’s safety was more than guaranteed. What was even better was that Pacifica had known how he’d feel about the situation, and was doing her best to ease his worries.

Loading up the back end of the moving truck took hardly any time at all, though Dipper was surprised to see that there were already several items in there.

“What? Did you think I was just going to leave everything behind?” Pacifica asked with a raised eyebrow when he asked about it.

He grinned wryly. “Not at all. I was just wondering because you have such nice things, and moving trucks are normally really dirty.”

The blonde flushed. “I’ll have you know that I had my parents’ employees scrub this piece of junk before any of my things ever made it in there,” she snapped, though Dipper could tell that she wasn’t truly angry.

Despite the lightness in the atmosphere, eventually the inevitable arrived. The movers were done and had left a couple of minutes earlier, and now only Pacifica’s limo remained. What surprised him though, was that at a word from the blonde heiress, it too went away.

“Go start up your car sweetie,” she murmured to Mabel.

His twin nodded, smiling brightly. “Got it!”

Dipper looked at Pacifica in confusion, but she was already answering.

“It doesn’t make sense for Mabel and I to draw too much attention to ourselves by showing up in LA in a limousine,” she explained with a flourish of her hand. “Not to mention that we’d have to leave Mabel’s car here.” She gestured to Sergio, who had been faithfully by her side since they’d come outside. “He’s going to drive us of course. I don’t know how to work with Mabel’s car, and I don’t want her to be driving. She shouldn’t have to,” the blonde added softly, a look of tenderness slipping into her expression. “Now that we’re starting our lives, she’s not going to have to do everything for herself anymore.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You’re already going about this the wrong way,” he told her. “Mabel _likes_ doing things for herself, you know. She’d never be content in a life where she never has to do anything. She likes her independence.”

“I know that,” Pacifica mumbled under her breath. “I’m just saying that-”

“Be careful with Mabel, Paz,” Dipper warned, straightening. He was easily taller than the blonde, but she wasn’t easily intimidated anymore and he knew that only too well. “If I ever find out that she’s unhappy, you’re going to have more than just my parents to deal with. You’ll have me, and I’m not going to be easy on you just because we’re friends.”

“Duly noted,” Pacifica replied evenly. “You won’t have to worry about Mabel’s happiness, Dipper. I care too much about her to ever allow her to be unhappy.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked off to Mabel’s car, Sergio following dutifully behind.

Then Mabel was standing in front of him, and everything else in the world became insignificant.

“I guess this is goodbye Bro Bro,” she whispered with a small smile. Sadness reflected in her eyes, mirroring his own expression.

“I guess it is,” he mumbled back, his voice thick with emotion. When had that happened? He’d just been fine a minute earlier…

Without hesitating, his twin stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace and for once, Dipper didn’t voice any complaints that she was going to break a rib. He returned the hug fully, burying his face into her hair.

“I’m really going to miss you Dippin Dots,” she mumbled, echoing his earlier words.

“I’m going to miss you too Mabes,” he choked out, mortified that somehow he’d started crying without noticing. “P-promise me that you’ll be careful?”

“You know I will,” she whispered soothingly, rubbing a hand over his back in a reassuring gesture.

He nodded, unable to compose himself enough to form words. Thankfully, he and Mabel had never really needed words as much as other people, and she seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

“I love you too Bro Bro,” she whispered, momentarily tightening her grip around him and nearly squeezing the life out of him in the process.

Finally, she stepped away from him with a sad smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. “I have to leave now, okay Dipper? I’ll call you by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”

He nodded again, not trusting himself to be able to speak coherently. Mabel nodded back, biting her lip. Before he could ask what was wrong, she ran forward and quickly hugged him.

“Good luck Bro Bro,” she mumbled. “Whatever happens here, please promise me you won’t forget who you are. Please, just...remember that I love you.”

With that, she broke away and darted off to her car, wiping at her eyes as she went. Pacifica called out a final goodbye to him, and then Mabel’s car was slowly pulling away, heading down the road and away from the Mystery Shack.

Dipper stood in the same place he’d been in, hands hanging limply at his sides and tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. He knew that Mabel hadn’t really meant that it was goodbye, that it was a see you later, but it felt like a goodbye and that broke his heart even more than the thought that now he had the attic to himself.

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur, Dipper hardly even noticing what was going on around him. William finally returned by dinnertime from the trip he’d been on, apologizing nonchalantly for his absence. It seemed that life would go on as usual, even though a small part of Dipper felt like the world was ending.

Later in that night after a game of poker with the Stans and Will, he fell asleep in what used to be Mabel’s bed, wearing the shooting star sweater she’d given to him.

* * *

Work over the next few days was as boring as ever, now that Mabel wasn’t around to at least liven it up a bit. William was placed in charge of tours for the most part of the day while the Stans worked on some experiment down in the basement and Dipper manned the gift shop. In a way, it was just like old times, except there was no Soos or Wendy to pass the time with either. William and Dipper occasionally had some free time to sit around and snack on junk food while chatting, and it was in one of those downtimes on Wednesday afternoon that everything went to shit.

The bell above the entrance to the Shack’s gift shop dinged and in stepped a young adult. He was probably the most pale person Dipper had ever seen, more so than William. The man's eyes were dark, and his medium length black hair was pulled into a low ponytail. His bangs neatly framed his face, and Dipper noticed that he had two purple streaked locks half hidden behind them.

Dipper swallowed uneasily. Having to work with William was enough to make his heart rate spike, but this stranger easily rivaled his blond-haired companion in attractiveness. A loud cough from the blond haired teen standing behind Dipper made him jump.

"H-hi," he stuttered, flushing from embarrassment.  "We-welcome to the M-Mystery Shack. How can I h-help you?"

"Pathetic," William muttered under his breath, and Dipper was sure that the elder teen had rolled his eyes with the statement.

"You're Dipper Pines, right?" The man's voice was a sharp contrast to Will's. Instead of an odd high-pitch, his was low and rich in tune.

Before Dipper could respond, William inhaled sharply. When he spoke, his voice was cold and strained. "Who wants to know?"

_Pine Tree, get out of the shop._

Dipper's eyes narrowed in confusion. What was so wrong with the stranger that it made both William _and_ Bill react so hostilely? Beyond that, _who_ was the person to even make Bill speak up after staying silent for so long?

 _I'm not joking, Dipper. Get out of there now, before I_ make _you._

"My name is Tad," the man answered smoothly, giving William a fleeting glance. "Tad Strange. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dipper."

"You too, Tad," Dipper replied quickly, still confused. Why was Tad seeking him out, and how did he know him?

"Dipper," William started slowly, stepping forward. "I think it’s time for you to go on break. I'll handle this one."

“I...just-”

“Do it,” William hissed. “For once, don’t question me, Dipper. Tad is _not_ a good person.”

Tad smirked and laid a hand over his heart, feigning an expression of hurt. “Why, _Will,_ you wound me. I know it’s been awhile, but we were such good friends. Obviously, not like you and Pines. Wouldn’t you agree, Dipper? He’s being so rude right now, telling you that you have to leave.”

“I-” Dipper started, taking a hesitant step backward. “I’m sorry, Tad. I-I know William more than I know you. I know I can trust him. I-it was nice meeting you, though. Goodbye.” He turned on his heel and quickly walked out of the shop through the ‘Employees Only’ door, but left it open a crack. Much as he trusted Will, something seemed off about the whole deal.

 _Spying isn’t a good idea Piney,_ Bill warned.

 _Since when did you become my conscience?_ Dipper fired back immediately, almost amused by the demon’s words. _Butt out, dude. This is interesting, and you’ve really got no right to try telling me what to do. Not after disappearing like you keep doing._

 _Don’t say I didn’t warn you,_ Bill snarked, his tone turning slightly angry.

“He seems like a pretty cool person, _Will,_ ” Tad was saying. He was leaning over the counter, a wolfish grin spread across his lips. “It would seem that you’ve been grooming him to be your perfect little plaything. Why are you keeping him hidden from me, hm? Are you afraid that I’ll take your place?”

William’s eye twitched in what Dipper was sure was annoyance. “You don’t belong here, Strange,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“You wound me, really. Gravity Falls is my territory too, or are you forgetting that?”

“Leave,” William hissed, blue sparks beginning to dance around his clenched fists. “Gravity Falls belongs to _me.”_

“The boy doesn’t though,” Tad purred, and the sound made Dipper shudder involuntarily. “And sooner or later, _William_ , he will make his pick. Based on the way things are now, I wouldn’t be so certain that it’ll be you.”

Will let out a snarl and a hand quickly shot up to grasp Tad around the throat, lifting him about an inch off of the ground. “You listen here,” he spat, his eye glowing and flames spreading over his fingertips. “Dipper Pines is _mine_. The forest is _mine_. You will leave this place and never return, you got that?”

Tad laughed, and it made Dipper recoil. The man had seemed charming before Dipper had left, but now it seemed that he was anything _but._

“I’ll leave,” he agreed, chuckling in mirth. “Your struggling is cute, you know that? It shows that I’ve made you worried about losing the kid. Something tells me that it’s more than just your fear of everything you’ve worked for being ruined…after all, you were the best player in the game. Don’t tell me…you’ve actually come to hold feelings for the little sapling?”

“Shut up!” William snarled, releasing Tad’s throat and pushing the man backward. He stumbled and fell on his rear, laughing manically.

“So it’s true then!” Strange howled, wiping at his eyes. He hastily got up, shooting William a bright grin. “That makes things even better - I’ll enjoy stealing your little pet!”

Tad left, and Dipper took it as his cue to follow suit. He darted into the kitchen and quickly grabbed a Pitt Cola, then leaned against the counter in an attempt to look casual.

 _What was Tad talking about?_ he thought, heart racing from either exhilaration or fear. _W-what pick am I supposed to make? A-and pet? I-I’m not-_

 _Kid, Tad is a demon,_ Bill interrupted. _Worse than me. He can’t be trusted, or taken seriously. He’s not in the journals, or well known by any of the Stans._

 _What does William have against him?_ Dipper questioned, popping the can open and taking a slow sip. _How do they know each other? What was he talking about, ‘everything you’ve worked for being ruined’?_

 _I’m the wrong person to ask, Piney,_ Bill replied stoically. _Strange is known for masquerading as a human, has done so for most of his existence. Your precious Will had a nasty encounter with him several years ago. Tad’s got it out for him - like I said, don’t take him seriously. If you’d like, you can interrogate your precious Will-boy, he’s coming in right about…now._

Sure enough, William entered the kitchen as soon as Bill stopped speaking, his expression worn. “Nice to know that you can follow directions,” he mumbled, walking over to the table and sitting down.

“Sorry,” Dipper apologized immediately. “I-”

“That was genuine,” William cut in, looking up and smiling slightly. “Thank you, Dipper.”

“I saw the whole thing though,” he confessed, shuffling his feet nervously. “Will…what were you guys talking about?”

William’s eyes widened slightly, but that was the only show of unease that he gave away. “Tad and I go back a bit,” he said slowly. “Rivals in school and all.”

Dipper shook his head slowly, his confusion dissipating as he slowly began to grasp what was going on. “No,” he murmured. “That’s not it. You guys were talking about me. Like…like I’m some prize to be won. A-and Gravity Falls the same way…”

“You’re not,” the blonde interrupted automatically. “Like I said, we go way back.”

“Tad referred to Gravity Falls as territory,” Dipper started simply, his eyes darkening. “He said that you could be worried about losing me. What was he talking about?”

“Look,” William finally murmured. “This isn’t - it’s not something that’s easy for me to admit, okay?”

“You’re lying,” Dipper accused, setting the can of Cola on the counter. “You’ve been lying to me about this for awhile now, haven’t you? What are you _really?_ A vampire? Some kind of werewolf?”

An expression of what Dipper pegged as fear crossed over William’s expression before it changed to minor annoyance. “And we’re back to this again. Dipper, I’m not a werewolf or a vampire, okay? That’s not it.”

“Then what is?” Dipper seethed. “How can you honestly expect me to just tru-”

“I like you, okay?!” William yelled back, then immediately quieted. “I-I like you, kid. You...you know I do. I…I know we’re not in a relationship, Dipper, and I know it’s not something that you’re looking for, and I can accept that. I…” he inhaled nervously, steeling his gaze onto the floor. “I like…what we do,” he finished, his cheeks turning scarlet. “I like being your friend and exploring the woods with you and occasionally doing intimate things with you, and I don’t want that to end. Tad…Tad thinks he can tear us apart if he says the right things. It’s why I reacted so violently.”

“O-oh,” Dipper mumbled, averting his gaze. “That’s…I can deal with that.” He picked up his near-forgotten can of cola on the counter and took a small sip of it. “If…if it’s any consolation, I-I like what we do too. I’m sorry I accused you of lying.”

William looked up at him and Dipper caught his tentative smile out of the corner of his eye. The brunet met his gaze and gave him a small smile back.

Something nagged at the back of his mind, however. Everything that happened in the past half hour combined with what Will had told him wasn’t adding up, and it just didn’t set well with him. He didn’t voice any other kinds of suspicions though, for fear of upsetting his friend again. There would be time for that later.

“So are we good?” he questioned instead. “Because I’m gonna be honest with you - I don’t like fighting. It’s too dramatic, and there are too many bridges that can be burned.”

William nodded in reply. “We’re good.”

Dipper took another absentminded sip of his Cola, his thoughts beginning to swirl around demon named Tad Strange. “Hey,” He started on an impulse, setting the can down onto the counter. “You don’t think that maybe Tad is the one that’s been desecrating the forest, do you? It would make sense…the forest gets attacked and suddenly he shows up here and starts challenging you.”

The blond grinned, his pep seeming to return. “I was hoping that you would catch on to that!” He beamed, “for only being a beginner at magic, you notice a lot of things. Your intuition is going to be your greatest asset!”

“I’ve always caught on to things though,” Dipper mumbled, turning his gaze to the ground. “That’s not magic, it’s just about the only true intelligence I possess.”

William laid a hand on his shoulder and Dipper glanced up to find that his smile had grown into something more genuine. “Quit doubting yourself,” he advised gently. “You’re going to go far, Dipper Pines. For now though, you should probably get back into the shop. I vaguely recall Stanford mentioning something about inventory needing to be taken care of, and he made it sound like it was going to be your chore.”

Dipper sighed and nodded, grabbing his can of Pitt Cola and retreating back to the gift shop, William a couple of paces behind him. _You’ve gone quiet again, Cipher._ he observed about half an hour later as he carefully wrote amounts onto a sheet of paper. _Something troubling you?_

 _Just observing,_ Bill replied boredly. _I don’t need to spend every moment of what you meatsacks call daytime speaking to you. I_ do _have things that I need to get done, you know._

 _It makes sense,_ Dipper thought, careful not to let any distrust show. _What you said earlier made me think though...Strange is a demon. You don’t think that he could be one of the demons that’s been getting close to here, do you? The timing and situation is uncanny, not to mention the fact that he seemed particularly interested in me._

 _Kid, you insult my intelligence,_ Bill responded automatically, sounding almost irritated. _Tad Strange is almost as powerful as I am. Not nearly enough to take over of course...but he’s powerful enough that his aura would leave a signature. You may not be completely wrong though, which is surprising. Tad could easily have hired some demons that are low-level enough to not leave a trace, but high-level enough to get his dirty work done._

 _Low level enough to not be you, too high level to care about coming around here,_ Dipper noted, somehow amused despite the severe meaning in Bill’s words. _Got it._

He and William continued to work for the next few hours, making small talk in-between recording numbers and going through different cleaning procedures that Grunkle Stan had never really bothered with. The peaceful calm that had been shattered with Strange’s appearance slowly seemed to return as nightfall approached and the work for the evening finished.

It was as Dipper was retreating to his room for the night that he allowed the facade to slip, not caring anymore what Will could sense. Things _weren’t_ okay, as much as he liked to pretend they were, and it had taken the words of Tad Strange for him to finally realize it.

The moment he stepped into his room, he immediately went to to the chest at the foot of his bed and took out the third journal, flipping it open to the only page that mattered anymore. The triangular form of Bill Cipher stared back at him, the sketched eye seeming to bore into his mind and read his every thought.

Slowly, he stood and walked over to his desk, setting the book down on the flat surface. He stared at it for only a moment more before he began to pace around the room, thoughts beginning to flood his mind.

Something had bugged Dipper about William from the moment he met the blond-haired teen. He’d suspected that “Will” wasn’t what he seemed, even voiced the suspicion aloud to Mabel only to completely disregard it when Bill had gone to the extremes.

Now, the more he thought about it, the more similarities between Bill and William he could see. The style of dress when Dipper had met him was reminiscent of the bow tie Bill had always worn, the pitch of their voices almost the exact same.

How could he be so _blind?_ When he finally started to put the pieces together and add everything up, it all made perfect sense to him. The frequent personality shifts in Will depending on the kind of mood Bill was in, the way the blond had stopped questioning why Dipper was afraid of having a relationship with him after _Cipher_ had searched his mind. Even the color of their magic was the same, which Dipper should have known better than anyone else.

And Dipper had _trusted_ him, _confided_ in him. They had been friends, but he had gone through his _mind_ , had pilfered any information that could be of use to him.

 _God,_ he was _such_ a _fool._

He could feel his eyes growing watery, and his vision began to blur in a swirl of colors. He stumbled over to his desk and sat down, pulling the book towards him. It was a lie. _It has to be,_ he thought desperately as he scanned over the words of betrayal scrawled on the page that had yellowed in age.

The first tears fell onto paper, and Dipper broke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Gravity Falls, it is good to be back! Welcome to December my dear readers, I must admit I've missed you all so much! 
> 
> NaNo was a giant success for me, and I've gotten so much done on this that I'm almost bubbling over with excitement to share everything with you all! The next several chapters, excepting the elusive 20th, are all typed out and ready to be beta'd, and beta'd they shall be! Sharon and I are gonna try our best to get a new chapter posted each week, so there should be five updates this month instead of one or two =)
> 
> Thank you all so much for sticking with me for this long! Every new comment and kudos and all this other wonderful shiz has given me the biggest smile, and I promise that I'll make it worth your while =D (Like...Because of NaNo, Entropy now clocks in at just over 123,000 words! =D


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning, Dipper stumbled downstairs as the sun was just beginning to rise. He was still wearing what he had been the previous day, but that didn’t matter to him.

Today, it was all over.

He paused on the bottom step to compose himself, sealing away the vast majority of his emotions. It wouldn’t do to have the element of surprise spoiled this early into the game. Or late, if he was considering how stupid he had been.

_ William_ was in the dining room by himself, casually leaning against the wall and sipping on something that smelled suspiciously like Mabel Juice. Unlike the way Dipper felt internally, the elder teen looked put together, composed. Most likely, he had been expecting this.

“W-Will?” Dipper stuttered as he stepped into the room, glancing nervously at the blond and then down to the ground. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand, hoping that the minuscule pinpricks of pain would remind him to keep the facade until they were at least alone. “Can we talk? In private?”

He looked up again just in time to see the elder teen give him a lopsided smile, his cerulean eye full of warmth. “Of course Dipper,” he replied lightly, setting his drink down onto the table.

Dipper nodded once and immediately retreated to the kitchen to go out the back door, not looking behind him to see if  _Will _ was still following. He didn’t need to, after all.

It was a few minutes later as they were walking through the undergrowth in the woods that  _Will _ spoke, his tone airy and unassuming. “So, what did you want to talk about Dipper?”

“Not yet,” the  brunet  responded shortly, keeping his gaze steeled to the path in front of him. He wouldn’t talk until they had reached a place where  _he _ was comfortable, where he knew he could dart away to a hiding spot if he needed to.

Thankfully, the blond following along behind him didn’t question his words.

_ He probably already knows, _ Dipper thought bitterly, roughly shoving a branch out of his way. Sadly enough, it didn’t sound like it managed to strike  _Will_  on its way back.  _And he’s biding his time to figure out the best way to kill me and then make it seem like an accident. _

But no. He couldn’t allow himself to think, couldn’t give  _Will _ even the slightest chance to find out what he was thinking.

It was sudden, the stop that Dipper came to after another few minutes of walking in the tense silence. And it  _was _ tense, that much even he had to admit. As much as he’d tried to hide his emotions until this very moment (which wasn’t very much at all), he had failed.

A part of him had  _wanted _ to fail, though. He had  _wanted _ “Will” to know that he knew, had  _wanted _ the one that had masqueraded as a friend to him for months to know what exactly he had done to him.

“Dipper?” the elder teen voiced in a tone that sounded  _worried_ , and he snapped.

“How long did you think you could keep this a secret from me?” he asked quietly, his voice trembling in rage. He whirled around to face the blonde, his eyes narrowing at the neutral expression on the  blond’s  face. Tears pricked at his eyes, and  _dammit_ , he had sworn he wasn’t going to cry. “How long, Bill?”

A delicate golden eyebrow arched, but the elder teen gave no indication of surprise otherwise. “You know.”

Dipper jerked his gaze away from the demon, hatred bubbling up inside of him. “You were never  _going _ to tell me, were you?” he whispered, screwing his eyes shut. “You - you-”

“If it’s any consolation, this isn’t how you were supposed to find out,” Bill told him. “Tad kind of fucked that one up for me.”

“How long?” Dipper asked again, his voice wavering. This wasn’t how he had planned for this to go  _at all_.  He opened his eyes to glare at the demon, a few tears escaping and trickling down his cheeks.

Bill frowned, ignoring him and continuing on with his own little diatribe. “Of course,” the demon mused to himself, “I guess maybe I fucked this all up from the very start on my own. Strange was the catalyst, but you would never have guessed the truth if I hadn’t aroused your suspicions in the first place. I revealed too much of myself to you right away, then had to resort to drastic measures and completely shift my personality in order to throw you off. Of course, I have to hand it to you Pine Tree.” Bill addressed Dipper directly now, his lips curling into a sneer. “I’m impressed you actually used your brain for once and figured this out for yourself. You didn’t even need Shooting Star’s help, even though she probably would have told you everything if you woulda bribed her!”

_ Shooting Star. _ Mabel had  _known_?

“You’re lying,” Dipper bit out weakly, but even he didn’t believe it. The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place then, and he gained understanding. Mabel  _had _ known, and now that he thought about it, there was no way in hell that the Stans hadn’t known Bill’s identity before graduation.

“Y-you have to be…” Dipper whispered, shaking his head in denial. Stanford knew better than anyone how traumatized Dipper had been six years ago by Bill Cipher, and yet he had  _hid_  this from him, allowed the demon to get  _close _ to him, had let Dipper  _befriend _ him without a second thought.

“ _Oh my god_. ” He choked back a sob, sinking to his knees and burying his face in his hands. “T-this  _can’t _ be-”

And yet it  _was_.  The truth had been staring him in the face the entire time, and what was worse was that  _everyone _ but him had known it.

“Dipper?” Bill’s voice sounded gently, and for a moment the brunet could almost believe that it was  _Will _ speaking to him, instead of the demon he knew it was instead.

“D-don’t call me that!” Dipper burst out hysterically, looking up at the demon with the best glare he could muster. “Yo-You have  _no _ \- you  _ lied _  to me!”   


The demon matched his glare coolly, an eyebrow raising in contempt. “Technically, I didn’t lie,” he stated matter-of-factly. “You see, for me to have lied to you as you so claim I have, I would have had to outright say that I wasn’t Bill Cipher. I never made any such claim, Pine Tree.”

A tremor wracked Dipper’s body at the use of the nickname. It had taken  _years _ for it to become only words to him, years of nightmares and hallucinations brought forth from his own brand of insanity, years of standing in front of the mirror and saying the words  _pine tree _ until he no longer flinched and an emotionless mask was secured in place.

And now, it had all proven to be for nothing as the mental walls he’d so carefully constructed came tumbling down around him in the wake of the truth.

Bill continued on though, as if he hadn’t noticed the effect he’d had on the younger teen. “I don’t see why you’re freaking out so much anyway. It’s not like-”    


“Are you kidding me?” Dipper hissed, looking up at the demon coldly. “You don’t see why I’m freaking out? You can’t think of a  _single thing_  wrong with all this?”

“Of course I can,” the demon replied nonchalantly. “But really, you’re being irrational over this, Piney. You knew who I was from the very start, so I don’t see why this is such a big deal to you.”

“Y-you really don’t get it, do you?” Dipper whispered, glancing down and wiping at his eyes. “E-emotions aren’t something you can just... _ play_ with, Wi- _C_ _ipher_. You...you pretended to be someone you weren’t to get close to me, and then if that wasn’t enough, it actually worked and you made me   _care _ about you.”

Something seemed to change in the demon then, though how Dipper knew, he’d never be able to guess.

“Y-you care?” Bill whispered, something akin to surprise flooding his tone. Dipper looked up to see that though the blond  _was _ surprised, he also looked happier than Dipper had ever seen him. “You - you love me, Pine Tree?”

“ _No_ ,” the brunet whispered, steeling himself. He wiped at his eyes one final time and stood on shaky legs, meeting Bill’s hopeful gaze coolly with narrowed eyes. “I- I may have felt a lot of things, but no.”

The demon’s face instantly fell, his eye darkening. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge, crossing his arms. “Bill, you need to stop right now and think about this. You  _tricked _ me by hiding who you were, and invaded my mind. You’re seriously telling me that you thought everything was going to work out the way you wanted?”

The blond shook his head, taking a step back. “No, this isn’t- you - you  _have_  to……”

“ _Stop_ ,” Dipper reiterated firmly. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? Think back over the past few months Bill, and try to say that everything you did was okay. Do you honestly  _think _ that I could love you after all that?” 

“You just said you cared though,” Bill protested, his eye flashing. “And you weren’t lying. I know when you lie to me, Pine Tree.”

“Don’t call me that either,” he said immediately, though the question crossed his mind of what Bill  _would _ call him, if not his name or nickname. “If I’m being perfectly honest with myself, I don’t know  _what_  to feel right now. You...you pretended to be a human, you’ve been pretending for who knows how long now. I placed my life in your hands countless times and told you so many things, and in return not only were you concealing your identity from me, you decided that that couldn’t be enough and you pried into my mind.”

“I had to-”

“No. You didn’t,” he said sharply. “Do you have any idea what you’ve  _done_? I- you’ve been lying to me this entire time, and instead of just coming out and telling me who you were right away, you chose to drag Mabel into this and made her keep it too. That’s it, right? The reason she was so off the entire time? I noticed it that day in the woods when she supposedly found my birthday present, and again when you possessed me that day.” He’d begun pacing in a line while ranting, gesturing with his hands and refusing to look at the demon. “If you’d at least let me know who you were right away, I wouldn’t have- I wouldn’t have let myself relax around you so easily; I would have kept my guard up. This would have never happened.”

“Don’t you  _see _ though?” Bill murmured, and the tone of his voice made the brunet freeze in his tracks. It was that same one he  _knew _ he’d heard before, but could never place. “I  _had_  to keep this a secret from you.” He stepped forward, reaching out towards Dipper with slightly trembling hands. His eye was wide and there was a glint to it that made the hair on the back of Dipper’s neck stand on end. “You said it yourself, you have feelings for me. You belong with me Pine Tree, and you would have never realized this if I’d told you who I was.”

Dipper stepped back, his mouth twisting into a snarl. “I belong to  _no one_ ,” he spat, his eyes narrowing. “Least of all  _you_.”

“You’re wrong,” Bill said, a manic cackle escaping with the words. “Your fate’s been long sealed Pine Tree, whether you realize it or not. I  _always _ get what I want, and what I want is you. Who’s to say that I can’t have you right now if I wanted?”

“You’re insane…” Dipper whispered, his voice trembling with shock. William had disappeared entirely by then, replaced with….Dipper didn’t even know  _how _ to describe Bill Cipher in that moment. 

The demon tilted his head to the side as he regarded Dipper, his eye wide in what looked like a mixture of excitement and curiosity. “Does it scare you, Dipper? Knowing that you have no control? That you can’t stop me even if you wanted? You’re  _ál̵l ̀m̶i̡n͏é_.”

“Y-You can’t do this, no matter what you think.” Dipper stuttered, backing up several more steps. “Stanley would never-”

Cipher grinned, and the sight of it chilled Dipper’s blood all over again. “Your precious guardians have no say in this,” he breathed, stepping closer to the brunet.

“Don’t come any closer,” he warned the blond meekly, his hands curling into fists. “Or I’ll-”

“Or you’ll  _w͠ha̶t _ ?” Bill asked, giggling. He took another step towards Dipper as if to prove an unspoken point, calling on his magic as he did so. Blue fire sprang to his fingertips immediately and he held up one of those hands with a crazed grin spreading over his lips. “I’ve been  _so_  patient with you, Pine Tree. It’s taken me an entire summer to get you to fall in love with me and now that you’ve admitted that you have, there’s _ńót̶hin̡g̀_ holding me back anymore.”

Dipper’s jaw fell slack in astonishment. “You’re crazy…” he reiterated, his eyes widening. “W-what  _happened_?” Was this really the same person he had danced with before, the same one who taught him magic and cuddled with him while watching X Files? The same one who had tried to teach him to make pancakes?

_ Get out of here,_ his conscience whispered, and Dipper could have sworn that it sounded on the verge of panic itself.  _Quit waiting for answers that you’re not going to get. Save yourself, before it’s too late. _

He took in a deep breath and tried to calm his emotions, though his mind was made up. “It’s not right, what you want to do though,” he tried rationalizing as he ever so slowly stepped backward.

Another giggle from the demon, this one more high pitched and manic sounding. “Do you really think I give two shits about that right now, Pine Tree? Do you have any idea how much  _power _ your words have given me?”

Dipper blinked in mild surprise.  _ Power? What power? Is that what’s made him like this? _  “You should care,” he said evenly, stepping back again. So far, Bill didn’t seem to know what he was doing. “If you really want me to be yours, wouldn’t you much rather that I’m willing?”

Bill faltered, and something in his eyes seemed to shift and flicker. “Why would you say that?” the demon whispered. “They  _did _ tell you, didn’t they? Didn’t they?!” he screeched when Dipper didn’t respond. “You’ve been working with them this whole time, haven’t you?!”

_ Now_ _,_ Dipper’s mental voice urged him, and he couldn’t agree more. He took several small steps backward until he was just a little bit further away from Bill, then turned on his heel and ran.

The first thoughts to run through his mind were ones of shock and terror, then slowly shifted to ones of absolute and utter bewilderment.   


_ W-what just happened? He was okay at first, and then he went completely berserk!  _

Dipper made his way towards the Shack, not slowing down until he could no longer hear Bill’s footsteps behind him and he felt like his lungs were about ready to explode. He leaned against the nearest tree and took a few moments to catch his breath and think about everything, though he kept on high alert. If Bill was to find him...he didn’t know what would happen, and he sure as hell didn’t want to find out.

_ But seriously...what the actual fuck?_ He frowned slightly. Things weren’t adding up, and nothing about Will, or Bill, or... _whoever_  he was, made any sense. He’d never thought that the blond was so quick to change the way he acted, but then again….Will  _had_  been hiding his true identity from Dipper the entire summer, so who was he to think that the elder teen couldn’t hide other things from him?

When his breathing and heart rate had slowed down, and he was convinced that Bill wasn’t around anymore, he continued on his trip back to the shack. 

He and Stanley and Grunkle Stan needed to have a serious talk about their choices, and exactly what they’d been thinking in letting  _Bill fucking Cipher _ anywhere near him after what had happened six years ago.

“Stan! We need to talk!” He yelled at the top of his lungs the moment he stepped inside the house. He walked to the dining room then, to wait. As he’d planned, both Stanford and Stanley came looking for him. 

“Take a seat,” he instructed briskly, waving a hand toward the table.

“Dipper, now is no-”

The brunet laughed sardonically, flicking his hand dismissively. “Fine, then. You don’t want to sit? I can do this while you’re standing too.”

The entire time, he’d been facing the wall to avoid having to look either of them in the eye but now he whirled around to face them.

“Tell me,” he started lowly, an almost murderous quality to his tone. “How long did you think you could hide this from me? What possessed you to think that  _keeping _ this from me was a good idea?”

“Dipper, what are you talking about?” Grunkle Stan questioned, sounding almost annoyed. “I have a shack to run, since you and William deci-”

"Don’t call him that,” Dipper snapped, clenching his fists. “I know that he’s Bill Cipher, so you don’t need to keep pretending anymore.”   


Instead of looking guilty, the way he’d thought they would, they looked almost relieved at the revelation of his knowledge.

“How did you find this out?” Stanley asked slowly, regarding Dipper with an almost neutral expression. It wasn’t perfect though, and he could see something akin to fear lingering. “Did Cipher tell you?”

Dipper looked away from them, bitter tears springing to his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered. His throat felt too raw from all the crying and talking he’d done in the past several hours and it was beginning to put a strain on his voice. 

“Dipper, you have to understand, we-”

“There’s nothing more  _to _ understand,” he interrupted, glaring at them. “Just...keep him away from me. Now that I’ve said my piece,  _don’t talk to me_ _._ ”

He left them and stormed upstairs, slamming his door shut when he reached his room. For a moment he wearily leaned against his door, and then he straightened again. As much as he didn’t want to, he needed to talk to Mabel.

“What’s up bro bro?” she asked with a smile when she answered his videochat request. The smile faltered upon seeing his expression though. “Are you okay Dipper?”

He bit his lip, trying to be rational despite the urge to yell at her too. “I’m not,” he finally managed to say in a quiet, shaky whisper. “Mabel, tell me this much...Did you know? About Bill?”

“Oh Dipper,” Mabel murmured, her expression shifting. “I’m sorry. I  _wanted_  to tell you, but...but he made me swear not to.”

He exhaled, then breathed in slowly with a small nod. At least  _she_  wasn’t trying to make up excuses. “When did this happen?”

His twin shifted, looking uncomfortable now. “That day in the woods,” she mumbled, confirming what he’d thought. “He showed me where to find that necklace I gave you.”

He nodded again, thinking back to that day. “He kept his deal then,” he murmured.

“What deal?”

He sighed, laying his face down in his hands. “I made a deal with him to protect you,” he muttered in defeat. “It- that’s why I was so worried when we found you. I didn’t think he’d kept up his end of the bargain.”

“You did what?” Mabel asked quietly, and he didn’t need to look at his computer to know that she was frowning. “Dipdop, you  _know_  I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, lifting his head up to look at her. To his surprise, even though she looked upset, there was also a trace of thoughtfulness in her expression.

“What?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“You said that you made a deal with him to keep me safe?” Mabel questioned, and he nodded in response. “Did you guys ever decide when it would end?”

Dipper thought back to the deal and after several moments, he spoke. “No...we didn’t.”

“That’s what I thought,” Mabel breathed, a small smile slipping over her lips. “Hurt as you might be right now Dipper, your deal isn’t over. He never stopped looking after me.”

“What do you mean?” Dipper asked carefully, torn between being thankful to the demon for apparently keeping his sister safe, or angry that she was in danger in the first place.

“The other night I was coming home late from a walk when I ran into some guys,” Mabel explained in a small voice. She ducked her head down, her cheeks turning red from what Dipper guessed was embarrassment. “I probably should have tried harder to avoid them, but I thought that I could take them if I needed to, and then the next thing I knew they were all ganging up on me. I was about ready to unleash my pepper spray on them and then there was this flash of light or something, and they were all screaming at the top of their lungs and running away.” She paused for a good few moments, then spoke again. “Dipper, I think it was Bill.”

He gritted his teeth and sighed. “I’m...glad that you’re okay,” he said finally. “That doesn’t change the fact that Bill lied to me. Or that he made you lie to me too.”

“I think it proves that you mean something to him though,” Mabel said softly, biting her lip. “He could have chosen to break that deal, but he didn’t.”

Dipper shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. None of that matters anymore Mabel. Bill...he- he may have done some good things, but that can’t make this up to me. Nothing can.”

“I think you’re being ridiculous,” Pacifica’s voice broke in before Mabel could respond. Suddenly she was standing behind Mabel, staring him down with a haughty glare. “Why does knowing that he’s Bill have to change anything?”

His eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said lowly. “You haven’t been here the entire summer; you don’t know what he’s done.”   


“Oh big deal,” the blonde snarked back. “I know that you’re in love with him Dipper, and I think you’re making a big deal over nothing.”   


“You seriously thi-”

“I think she might have a point,” Mabel cut in quietly, shutting both Dipper and Pacifica up. “Dipper, you had your suspicions about Will from the very beginning, but you chose to be friends with him anyway.”

“He  _tricked _ me into it,” Dipper protested, flushing. "Half the time he was acting like a normal human being and acted like my friend, and the rest he was rifling through my mind and manipulating me into doing what he wanted. Who does that?"

“Who says it was just an act?” Pacifica challenged immediately, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t seriously tell me that  _you _ knew too,” Dipper muttered with a scowl.

“The dork needed  _someone _ his age to talk to,” Paz replied dismissively. “It was pretty easy to figure out that he wasn’t normal, especially because he didn’t have his powers under control yet. That’s not the point. Look dumbass, you fell in love with him even though you thought something was off about him in the beginning. Love isn’t something that can just be broken, and you know it.”

“You don’t know  _anything_  about mine and Bill’s relationship,” Dipper hissed, standing. He moved his mouse to the X in the corner of the screen, and was about to click it when Pacifica’s voice rang out once more.

“That might be true, but I know what you guys felt for each other. And I know  _you_ _,_ Dipper, and it sounds like the only thing that’s hurt right now is your pride. Let me tell you this, you need to build a little self-pity bridge and get the fuck over it instead of treating everyone else li-”

Dipper closed out of the conversation then and stalked away from the computer, clenching his fists to avoid lashing out at something.

Who was Pacifica, to think she had any right to talk to him like that? She had no  _idea_  what had happened between him and Bill, had no  _idea_  how insane the demon actually was.

_ Not like you took the time to tell them what happened when you confronted Bill though_ _,_ a small voice in the back of his mind piped up snidely. 

Dipper went over to his bed and laid down, crossing his arms behind his head. Perhaps he  _could_  have handled that a bit better, but still. He was so  _tired_  of bombshell after bombshell being dropped onto him, so  _tired _ of getting his hopes up about something and then having them shot down again in the next instant.

He rolled over onto his side and resolved to stay in his room for the rest of the day to think, and perhaps get some more sleep. He’d spent most of the night crying and trying to prove the truth wrong, and the events of the past day had left him utterly exhausted.

* * *

“...Tree, please? I really need to talk to you.”

Dipper was woken some time later from the nap he’d fallen into by the sound of insistent knocking on his door, accompanied by Wi- _Bill’s_  voice.

Despite how badly he wanted to ignore the demon, he slowly got up and walked over to the door, making sure to set his expression into a scowl before opening the door.

“What do  _you_  want?”

Bill stood there looking apologetic, but also beyond relieved to see him. “Thank you,” the demon murmured, dipping his head slightly. “Look Dipper, I know you must be mad at me and you must want answers, but…” he trailed off then, almost as if he had no idea what to actually say.

_ Some answers would be nice for a change_ _,_ Dipper thought furtively.  _Not that_ he _needs to know that._  “I have nothing to say to you, actually,” he said quietly, pointedly not looking at Cipher. “Say what you need to, and get out.”

Bill wasn’t deterred though, and he continued on. “Look….back there in the woods, I lost it. I know I did, and I’m sorry about that. I’m sorry for scaring you-”

“I wasn’t scared,” Dipper interrupted in a snarl, fixing his glare on the demon.

Bill smiled then, sadly. “You were though, Pine Tree. I could hear your heart racing just as it is now.” He paused for a moment as if to give Dipper a chance to speak. “I- it’s hard to explain, even though I know exactly what to say.”

“Then say it,” Dipper snapped, crossing his arms. “I have  _no_  desire to talk to you.”

“Look,” Bill repeated, his tone becoming something more desperate. “It’s...your guardian fleshsuits explained it to me once, but they don’t understand it and I don’t either most of the time. They said that I have something called multiple personality disorder.”

Dipper opened his mouth to call the demon out on his bullshit, then slowly closed it again. Bill...might not be lying about that. And the excuse opened up answers that would sound like lies otherwise.

Still. There wasn’t any need to let the demon know that he believed him about that, so he said nothing.

“I looked it up and let me tell you, you meatsacks are stupid,” Bill continued, stepping back and beginning to pace much like Dipper had earlier. “You have so little understanding on the concepts that you  _should _ know, and that makes my range of knowledge even more limited than it already is.”

“Are you finished yet?”

Bill stopped for a moment, then shook his head and kept going. “It’s...hard to explain though, so maybe you humans aren’t as dumb as I think. It’s like...there’s two parts of me, Pine Tree. There’s who I  _am_ , and who I’ve  _become_ , and it’s like they’re two separate entities trying to control me at the same time.”

“So what?” Dipper asked in a clipped tone, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think that changes things?”

Bill’s lip curled into a snarl, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. “Look, I’m not going to pretend that this was my best idea, but I  _had _ to keep this a secret from you. You wouldn’t have come to care about me if you’d known who I was otherwise. You humans always talk about judging books by their covers, whatever  _that _ means, but I think it can apply to people too.”

Dipper rolled his eyes.  _That’s because it’s_  talking _about people, you dumbass._   “Let’s take a look at your contents then, shall we?” he asked, echoing a movie he’d once watched with Mabel. “You pretended to be somebody else all summer, then tortured me psychologically and even physically in some cases, and completely invaded my mind when I wouldn’t give you the answers that you wanted. You tried ending the world and almost got my entire family killed in the process. You threatened my family and took control of me against my will  _and_  our deal, and countless other things.”

“I ha-”

“ _Don’t give me that bullshit,_” Dipper snarled, feeling a sudden heat rush to his fingertips. He glanced down at his hands to see that they’d burst into flame.

“You  _have _ to care though,” Bill protested stubbornly, his eye flashing in what seemed like panic. “Pine Tree, I- yo-you  _have _ to-”

“You think I could  _care _ about you after all this?” Dipper asked incredulously, reiterating an earlier question. “Do you even see yourself? You’re a  _demon_ , Cipher, a  _monster_.” He faltered then, shaking his head. “I- I can’t even right now,” he muttered, pushing past the demon and fleeing down the stairs, then outside.

The only thing he knew was the pounding of his heart in time with his shoes against the ground, the wind stinging his eyes in lieu of the tears that had begun to form. He didn’t stop until he was almost in town, and he did only then because of a sign hanging on a telephone pole that had caught his eye.

Tad Strange. He was the person on the poster, smirking and holding violet fire in his palm like it was no big deal, like it was normal.  _Come and find me_ _,_ his eyes seemed to taunt, even though it was really just an image printed on paper.

_ Strange Magic_ _,_ the poster proclaimed at the top in a flowing purple and black script, matching the outfit that the demon wore. Dipper’s eyes skimmed over the words on the poster, his heart speeding up for entirely different reasons this time.

_ Find him,_ his heart whispered in agreement with his mind.  _He wanted to talk to you for a reason. He can give you answers. _

Dipper carefully took the poster off of the pole and folded it into a square, then stuck it in his pocket. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears and he was beginning to feel dizzy, but that didn’t matter.

He was going to get down to the bottom of this, once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning my dear readers, and welcome to Thursday =)
> 
> This is a pretty emotional chapter, and things aren't going to get any better for awhile. Dipper's hurt and pissed off, and right now he's more than okay with lashing out at everyone else and rebelling to try making himself feel better. It's not going to work. 
> 
> So, do you guys hate me yet? ^^


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mm'kay, before we get started on all this shiz, I'mma put a quick note cause it's the proper etiquette. This chapter has a trigger warning in it for dub/non-con content in it, most likely leaning more towards the noncon category. If it's something that will trigger you, go ahead and shoot me a message on tumblr so that I can tell you what goes down plotwise (glossing over the trigger, of course)
> 
> Also - I don't think this is specified, but this chapter takes place a couple of days after the last one =)

"If I were a demon, where would I hide?" Dipper perused curiously as he walked down a lonely sidewalk in the city of Medford.

He paused to take in his surroundings for a moment. The sides of the road were littered with small shops that each held small possibilities, but he highly doubted that Strange would bide his time in a bank or a bridal boutique. He sighed, then continued searching. The flyer advertising Strange's show had specifically stated that he'd be performing in Medford and that he'd be there until the end of the week, but _where_?

His eyes widened marginally at the sudden smell of coffee beans and cookies that teased his senses, and he looked up to find a small café on the corner.

Dipper _really_ wanted coffee right about then.

"Stay strong," he muttered to himself, focusing his attention back on the topic at hand. Tad. He was here to confront Tad Strange about the forest killings and find out what his plans were. Nothing else. _No coffee. Bad Dipper._

His resolve weakened the closer he got to the café, his mouth watering at the prospect of getting to have caffeine for the first time that day, and the expensive kind at that. Expensive coffee was good, and he _needed_ the energy it would give him if he was going to track down Strange.

Apparently, fate agreed.

He glanced into the café as he passed by, and a flash of purple was enough to make him stop in his tracks and do a double-take. Tad was sitting at a table by himself, looking smugly relaxed and casually eating a scone. There was a mug of what Dipper assumed was coffee beside the scone plate, and oddly enough, a medium sized to-go cup in the seat in front of him.

_So he has company,_ Dipper mused, hesitating to go inside. _Maybe Bill....?_

He shook his head, steeling his resolve. _No. I am_ done _with relying on Bill for everything. It's gotten me nowhere useful so far, and it probably won't help me out any time in the future. This is_ my _mystery._ That thought firm in his mind, he walked into the café and strode right up to Tad's table, putting on his best no-nonsense expression.

"Strange," he growled lowly. He laid his hands down on the table and leaned forward to glare at the demon.

Tad met his gaze with an amused expression on his face, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Greetings, young Sapling. We meet at last. You didn't happen to bring your demon along, did you?"

The confirmation that Tad had known Cipher's identity at the time of their first meeting boiled Dipper's blood. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists to avoid lashing out.

"Leave Cipher out of this," he hissed, some of the anger leaking through the stoic mask he'd attempted. "I have some questions for you."

Tad grinned, his naturally-sharper canines glinting in the light. He pushed the tall cup of coffee towards Dipper. "Have a seat, Little Sapling. I got this for you. Hopefully it's just the way you like it."

Dipper straightened up, mildly surprised. The coffee had been for him? Was Tad able to see into the future like Bill could? He pulled out the chair across from Tad and sat down, taking the offered cup.

"You have questions for me, Sapling. I promise you, I likely have answers," the demon stated simply. "Go ahead and speak your mind."

Not knowing what to ask first and not wanting to say the wrong thing, Dipper raised the coffee cup to his lips and took a small sip. He lowered it again a second later, knowing what his first question would be.

"How did you know how I like my coffee made?"

Tad grinned mysteriously, but skirted around the inquiry. "Kid, you can literally ask me _anything_ right now, and you choose to ask me about that?"

Dipper blushed, but mentally refused to let his curiosity go. The last time he'd done that, Cipher had gotten away with lying to him for months. "Yes. I want to know. Can you read my mind too?"

"If I can?" Tad mused, his expression shifting slightly. Dipper didn’t miss the sudden predatory glint in his eye. "I have a lot of powers, Little Sapling. It's what makes me stronger than Cipher."

Dipper raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Right. I assume that's why you control Gravity Falls now, right?"

"I haven't _wanted_ control," Strange dismissed breezily. "There's a difference."

Dipper glanced out the window against the side wall and noted that it had begun to rain slightly. Not bad enough to completely sour the day, but enough to kill the mood some. He bit his tongue in distaste. Sure, the occasional rainstorm was fine and all, but Dipper absolutely hated the days where the weather was dreary and humid and just misty enough to keep everyone cooped up indoors.

“Bit stupid to let Cipher run the show solo though, isn’t it?” Dipper asked on an impulse, attempting to regain focus on what he’d come here for. He glanced back at Tad, raising an eyebrow in an obvious challenge.

Tad’s grin widened and the sight of his confidence made Dipper falter. “You really think Cipher was the only one in Gravity Falls?” he purred, studying Dipper through half-lidded eyes.

Dipper forced himself to look away from Strange again, conflicting feelings of mistrust and betrayal bubbling up inside. For a moment, he questioned why.

In a way, Cipher had been right in saying that Dipper didn’t need to know much more than the endgame plan. It was difficult not to ask questions though, especially when the only mentions Bill ever made about the end of the world were vague and in riddles that Dipper couldn’t figure out for the life of him.

“I’ll assume he wasn’t, then,” Dipper mumbled, taking a small sip of his still-hot coffee.

Tad laughed lowly. “Kid, for once you actually got something right. Do yourself a favor, though, and don’t go spouting any of this off to Seraphine. She might want you just as bad as the rest of us, but she likes to dole out punishment without much of a second thought. She wouldn’t be pleased with your blatant ignorance of her.”

“Who’s Seraphine?” Dipper asked the demon curiously, taking out a small notebook and pen. Strange was being more helpful in giving him information than Bill had ever been, so he might as well take notes.

_Tad Strange,_ he wrote down on the first line, then underlined it and added a colon after the name. _Demon, 2nd class. Masquerades as a human, can read minds and see into the future..._

_Seraphine,_ Dipper wrote on the next page. He gnawed on the end of his pen for a few moments as he thought. _Demoness. Unknown class, seems to have the same goal as Bill._

“I’m not going to tell you if you don’t already know,” Strange told him nonchalantly, peering at the list over his coffee. “You may as well add ‘has a dominance and pain inflicting kink’ to that list of yours, kid. I hate to think of what might happen if you devote yourself to her without any form of warning.”

“I’m not submitting to _anyone,_ ” Dipper ground out, glaring at Tad. After a moment of hesitant thinking, he put his pen to the paper. _Likes being in control and causing pain._

Tad raised his coffee mug to his lips, but didn’t sip. “Not yet, anyway,” the demon mused, tipping the mug up and draining the contents.

“What’s the plan?” Dipper blurted out, immediately cursing his reckless curiosity. “For Gravity Falls?”

“We really shouldn’t talk about this here,” Strange murmured lowly, his eyes flashing. “Might I suggest that we go to my place and finish our conversation there?”

Dipper took a long sip of his coffee, considering the situation. Tad had a point about the cafe being too public for world domination, and he could always attack and leave the demon’s body there if things went sour. He doubted that it would go bad, though. After all, Tad _was_ being cooperative and answering his questions truthfully.

“Sure,” he finally answered in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone. He stood and tucked the notebook and pen into his jacket pocket, then grabbed his nearly empty coffee cup.

“You can just toss that,” Tad said casually, taking his mug up to the counter. “I have something new for you to try when we get to my place.”

“Really?” Dipper asked skeptically. “How convenient for you. What is this ‘new thing’?”

“You seem like the kind of guy that likes energy,” the demon answered smoothly as he returned. “And I know for a fact that coffee is horrible for mortal humans and such, so I figured that you might like to try some tea. The effects it’s had on others has made them quite…restless, from what I can tell. It seems like the kind of natural energy that would be right up your alley.”

“Okay,” Dipper finally agreed, following Tad to the door and tossing his cup into the trash.

They stepped out into the rain together, Tad taking an umbrella out of his trench coat’s pocket and opening it up. Predictably, he didn’t offer any of it to Dipper even though it more than covered him.

They walked for a few minutes in complete silence, Dipper cursing the rain and Tad Strange for making him walk in the rain with every step he took. Luckily for him, Medford was large enough for Tad’s hotel to be located relatively close by.

“I have the penthouse suite for the week,” Strange informed him as they approached a large, elaborately designed building.

Dipper’s jaw went slack as he stared at the hotel that Tad claimed he was staying in. The outside looked like something that only the Northwests could ever afford, so what would that say about the inside?

“I know,” Tad breathed smugly, suddenly standing beside Dipper and laying a hand on his shoulder. “It’s impressive, right? You’d be surprised what a stash of gold can get you these days, Little Sapling.”

_Gold,_ Dipper thought, snapping out of his state of shock as they entered the hotel. _Tad has that obsession with gold too. What’s so important about that?_ He decided, perhaps against his better judgement, to voice that.

“So, uh…why do we need gold so badly anyway?” Dipper questioned curiously. They entered an elevator and Tad pressed the button that would take them to the penthouse.

The demon laughed quietly in response. “Eager, are we?” he purred in what almost sounded like a teasing tone. “You’ll get some more answers in a little bit, Sapling. Patience is a virtue, and all that dumb human shit.”

Dipper bit his lip, but he nodded anyway. He wanted to demand that Tad tell him everything right at that moment, but doing so could possibly disrupt the generosity that the demon had shown him so far.

They arrived at the hotel’s penthouse and Tad quickly tapped in the passcode so the elevator would open up and let them inside. “It’s a security measure,” he explained, rolling his eyes. “That you stupid humans came up with to keep unauthorized meatsacks out. Useful, I guess.”

“Dead useful,” Dipper commented, stepping into the suite. He bit his lip again to muffle a gasp of awe. “This place looks…nice.”

Tad shrugged, smirking. “I guess. Only a commoner like you would think that this is ‘nice’. For humans that live in wealth, like me and that Northwest girl, this is shabby at best.”

Dipper walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down on it, making himself comfortable. Tad had insinuated that they’d be there for awhile and it wasn’t _his_ place, so technically, Dipper could do as he pleased. He smirked at the look Strange gave him when he propped his feet on the coffee table.

“You said you had something that you wanted me to try?” Dipper questioned, feigning an innocent expression.

Tad shrugged off his jacket and folded it over an armchair. “It’ll take me a few minutes to prepare,” he commented nonchalantly, disappearing into the kitchen. “So you’ll need to occupy yourself until I’m done.”

“No problem there,” Dipper quipped under his breath. He pulled the small notebook out and jotted down some more thoughts about Tad and Seraphine, glancing up every once in a while to take in his surroundings.

What was Strange’s game? There had to be some angle that the demon was coming from, some reason for giving Dipper information so willingly. Or…

Dipper bit his lip. What if Tad _wasn’t_ playing games with him? What if he was just so used to playing _Cipher’s_ game that he automatically assumed that all other beings functioned in the same manipulative way?

“I’m back,” Tad announced in the same cool tone that was borderline playful. Dipper looked up to see the demon standing in the doorway, holding a tray with two small china cups and a glass serving kettle precariously balanced on it. The demon walked over to the sofa and placed the tray on top of the coffee table in front of it, then picked up one of the cups as he took a seat in the armchair that was to the right of Dipper.

“I really hope you like this,” the raven haired man purred, a sickly sweet smirk curling at his lips. Dipper forced himself to believe that it was just Tad’s smile, that there was nothing nefarious lurking underneath. That not every demon was just like Cipher.

“I’m sure I will,” Dipper replied cordially, taking the offered cup. He eyed the other one on the tray suspiciously. Just because Tad seemed to be nicer than Bill by a hundredfold, didn’t mean that Dipper didn’t need to keep his guard up.

As if reading his mind, Tad picked up the second cup and raised it to his lips, sipping audibly. “It tastes rather well to me,” he murmured teasingly, his eyes almost alight with a deep purple that Dipper tried to convince himself he didn’t find attractive in the slightest. “What do you think?”

Dipper almost gritted his teeth at Strange’s blatant prompt for him to try the drink, but refrained. He slowly raised the cup to his lips and took the tiniest of sips, making sure that his was silent.

The taste was truly unlike anything Dipper had ever tried before in his life, as sweet as sugar and yet as bitter as any other tea he’d ever drinken. It was so much more than anything he’d ever tried previously, and there was something that almost seemed off about it. He just... didn’t know what it was.

“And?” Tad purred, and Dipper looked over at the demon to see that his eyes were actually glowing now, the pupils so thin that it seemed they were barely there. The serene smile never left his lips, and it was beginning to freak Dipper out. He pushed that feeling to the back of his mind though, and tried to regain focus on why he was there.

“It’s not bad,” the brunet admitted begrudgingly as he took another sip, then a larger one after that. “How did you make this? I’m sure Mabel would love it, and Pacifica would probably want to make it whenever she has guests.”

Tad chuckled, his eyes momentarily returning to normal. “That’s a secret,” he crooned, winking. “And it’s best to give it to only your… _closest_ friends, if you catch my drift.”

Dipper opened his mouth to ask the demon to elaborate, but he stumbled over the words clumsily, managing only a choking sort of sound. He now realized what was so odd about the tea, making it as sweet and appealing as it was.

“You spiked it,” he finally voiced boldly, setting the mug down firmly onto the coffee table. His mind was beginning to haze over and it seemed like his nerves were going numb, presumably side effects of whatever Strange had slipped into his tea.

He focused on the other reactions his body was beginning to have from the drink; the sudden dizziness that was beginning to consume him, the path that his blood chose to run-

Wait a second. “Love,” Dipper blurted out, shaking his head frantically to try and clear it. “You put a love potion or an aphrodisiac or something in here. That’s why it was so sweet!”

Another low chuckle from the demon, this one sending tingles down his spine and a shot of arousal to his nether regions. Dipper bit his lip and crossed his legs in an attempt to hide the reaction.

“You’re close,” Tad breathed, standing. His figure loomed over Dipper, and the brunet audibly gulped as one of Tad’s hands came to a rest on his shoulder and pushed him back into the sofa. “But not quite.”

Dipper struggled for a moment to find words to say, something in the back of his mind insisting that this had all been a set up. “L-let me up,” he finally demanded in a choked up voice, blood rushing to his cheeks.

Tad grinned cruelly, his other hand latching onto one of Dipper’s wrists. “As you wish,” the demon hissed lowly, tugging Dipper up so they were standing face to face, their bodies pressed together in a way that was wrongly intimate.

Dipper struggled to get out of Strange’s grasp so he could _get the hell out of there_ , but it seemed that a lot of his physical strength had gone along with his sanity when he’d downed the tea. Just _what_ had Tad spiked it with? Normal aphrodisiacs didn’t have this kind of effect on people, that much he was absolutely sure of. It had to be something of the supernatural sort then, something-

Tad leaned in. “Close again,” he whispered, his hot breath ghosting across Dipper’s earlobe. Dipper inhaled sharply, struggling to keep his impulses in check. A small whine escaped his lips, and Tad laughed.

“Come with me,” the demon breathed, tugging on Dipper’s wrist. He found himself obediently following, somehow managing to walk on legs that felt unsteady, most of his rational sense of thinking being submerged in a lust filled haze. The brunet gasped when Tad suddenly whirled around and his back met solidity. Before he could even try to figure out what was going on, the demon’s lips met his in an openmouthed kiss, teeth grazing harshly on his lip.

“You’re _really_ enjoying this,” Tad murmured with a smirk when he pulled away a moment later. He pulled Dipper’s wrists up to rest against the wall, pushing them together and grasping them in one hand, the other moving to his chest and trailing downward slowly, teasing. When his fingers reached the hem of Dipper’s shirt, he pulled the garment up a little and slipped his hand under to rest against warm skin.

Dipper released a soft sigh, murmuring words that were indecipherable to even his own ears. He heard a low chuckle from Strange that sent a shot of heat down to where the demon’s hand splayed across his stomach. Dipper closed his eyes, completely surrendering to the impulse to just go with whatever was happening.

“There we go,” Tad breathed seductively, brushing his lips against Dipper’s collarbone. The demon’s hand moved up to the top of Dipper’s chest, then raked down harshly.

Dipper cried out, his back arching from what he thought might have been pain. His skin stung, and he was pretty sure that it would scar. The low keen changed to a quiet moan as Tad’s hand moved to press firmly against the bulge that had formed in Dipper’s jeans.

"Humans are such odd little creatures," Strange mused, his hand stroking smoothly upwards once before retreating to Dipper’s hip.

Dipper glared at him through half-lidded eyes that were glazed over with arousal, mentally cursing the demon with the little sanity he had left. Thin strands connected together to finished the puzzle, and he suddenly understood that the tea hadn’t taken away his physical strength, nor had it stolen his mind away. It had filled him to the brim with an incurable _need_ , one that would disappear only once it had been satiated.

"I find though," Tad continued, "that you are one of the strangest, Little Sapling." His hand returned to Dipper's crotch and began stroking slowly, ignoring the brunet's sharp inhale. "You are smart enough to outrank most of your species, and yet....you’re too stupid to see the truth staring you in the face."

"...I hate you," Dipper finally managed to hiss through gritted teeth, fighting to not arch into the demon's tantalizing touch. "G-go to h-hell, Strange."

Tad barked out a loud laugh, removing his hand. Dipper’s whimper of protest was captured by the demon’s lips, and it turned into a low groan instead.

Tad pulled away once more, chuckling darkly. "Let's get one thing straight here," he breathed, slipping his thigh in between Dipper's legs. "You mean absolutely nothing to me, Dipper Pines. You are a means to an end...and what a glorious end it will be."

Dipper could only whimper in response, screwing his eyes shut in embarrassment. He unconsciously rubbed himself against the demon, craving the friction that resulted.

Strange smirked. "Pathetic,” he breathed in satisfaction. His lips traveled to Dipper’s neck, muffling his next words. “Tell me Sapling, have you ever heard of a Lovely Longing? I imagine your author must have come across them at some point when he was working with Cipher.”

Dipper choked out a low moan, tilting his head to give the demon more access to his skin. Tad’s words were barely registering in his mind and he couldn’t form a coherent response if he wanted to, sheer pleasure rendering him momentarily tongue-tied.

“You should get out of Gravity Falls while you still have the chance,” Tad continued, his teeth and tongue grazing against Dipper’s skin, making the brunet keen in appreciation. “Before it’s too late, Sapling.”

“W-what do you mean?” Dipper whimpered breathily, arching up against the demon.

A low chuckle sounded, and Dipper was _really_ beginning to hate that sound. “Do you want to know where to find the Longings?” Tad murmured, dragging his lips up to the skin behind Dipper’s ear. “Because I can show you, if you’d like. Then I can show you how to make my special blend of tea. Wouldn’t you like that?”

The words made absolutely no sense to the brunet’s lust-clouded mind but he nodded anyway, figuring that maybe if he did so, the pleasure would stay and increase. The only things he could really hear from the demon were whispered promises to make him feel good, to give him what he wanted, and that sounded _really_ nice to Dipper at the moment.

“I can show you everything and anything you’d ever want,” Tad crooned into his ear. He removed his leg and replaced it once more with his hand, palming Dipper’s erection in long, languid strokes. “All it takes is a deal, Little Sapling.” He trailed his lips down to where Dipper’s neck met his shoulder and bit down. The brunet let out a low groan, his eyes fluttering shut.

“I-I will _never_ make a deal with you,” Dipper breathed through gritted teeth. He _hated_ what Tad was doing to him but at the same time, the push of his hips against the demon’s hand and the small moans that slipped past his lips whispered the exact opposite.

Suddenly Tad’s hand was at the rim of Dipper’s jeans, undoing the button and pushing down under the fabric, then skin met skin and the brunet let out a high pitched keen as stars seemed to explode in front of his vision. He lost all awareness of where he was, knew only the warmth of Tad’s hand and the sensations that tingled across his nerves, setting them on fire. He was barely aware of the sounds he was making, and the low laughter that was Strange’s response.

Time passed and Dipper slowly became aware of his surroundings again, the effects of the Lovely Longings fading into an almost mute hum. He was kneeling on the ground, his hands the only thing really holding him up as he shook with tears. His breath came out in a mix of gasps and ragged pants and when he finally dared to look up, he caught sight of Tad Strange.

The demon looked down on him condescendingly, a cold smirk playing at his lips. “Pathetic,” he murmured, his eyes momentarily flashing purple. “You don’t even know how deep you’re in.” Tad started laughing quietly. “You came here for answers, Little Sapling, and I’m going to give them to you willingly.”

“Why?” Dipper blurted out, his voice cracking, and he could almost feel the demon momentarily tense.

“I’m not like Cipher,” Tad finally replied cordially after several long moments of silence. “I don’t use manipulation and vagueness to get what I want, Sapling. You might want to remember that.”

Dipper nodded despondently, moving to stand on trembling legs. A deep blush settled over his cheeks as he realized the full effects of what had just occurred, and much to his dismay, the mess that would more than likely linger until he was able to get home and shower.

As if reading Dipper’s mind, Tad smirked before continuing. “Here’s some information that you’re going to need to know if you want to have any chance of stopping the inevitable - there’s a kid that you came across a long time ago, on your first vacation here in Gravity Falls. He’s the key to your success, but know this - if you’re not careful around him, he’ll be your downfall.”

Dipper nodded in response, his mind already beginning to mull over who Strange could possibly be talking about. So far as ominous people went, there were only a select few that he could really name off the top of his head.

Robbie Valentino was one for sure, Preston Northwest another. On the other hand though, Tad had specifically said _kid_ , and that brought back a memory of a dusty, closed down convenience store wherein Mabel had been possessed by the spirits of two (surprisingly nice, yet vengeful) ghosts.

Dipper opened his mouth to voice his suspicions, but Tad was holding out his notebook and pen before he could get a word in, a cold expression on his face.

“I trust you know the way out?” Strange asked snidely, his tone conveying that he wasn’t going to lift a finger for Dipper anymore.

Dipper gritted his teeth and took the notebook and pen from the demon, then turned and stalked toward the door. He spared a final glance at Tad as his fingers touched the doorknob, then steeled his resolve and exited.

He wiped at his eyes absentmindedly as he stepped into the elevator and punched the button marked with an L. Everything that had happened in the past hour and a half seemed so _surreal_ , but the evidence was undeniably there. Though the effects from the Longings seemed to be wearing off, his mind was still all kinds of fuzzy, and he stepped off the elevator a good sixty seconds after he got on no less confused than he had been in Tad’s room.

Why did Tad do this? Dipper wondered miserably as he started the long trek back to the bus stop. Rain was still pouring down and it soaked him to the bone in minutes, but he was grateful that it at least concealed the mess he’d made of himself. _Why did he drug me like that, and_ why _with a lust-causing plant? Why not something with more discreet effects? Unless he did it on purpose to create a distraction from what he was saying?_

As he walked down the sidewalk, he couldn’t help but sullenly muse that he should have stolen Strange’s umbrella. It would serve the demon right, for messing with him in the first place.

_He did give me a lot of useful information though,_ he admitted begrudgingly as he stepped onto the bus and handed the driver a crisp ten. “Keep the change,” he muttered, then made his way to an empty seat.

_For instance, there are more demons than just Bill and Tad floating around. At least one other major one, and that would be Seraphine. And maybe if I ask Bi- Never mind. I’ll do my own research, and figure out who she is and what she’s planning._

He stared out the window silently the whole way back home, fighting off the occasional onslaught of tears that threatened to make themselves known. Despite what he’d learned, the day had been a complete waste. He’d been drugged and humiliated, and the traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispered that none of it would have happened if he was on speaking terms with Bill.

But _no_. He was _done_ being a pawn for demons, and it was beginning to become clear that if he would have to work solo from now on if he wanted to keep his sanity and mental health intact.

_Trust no one,_ the journal had cautioned.

Lately, Dipper was beginning to think that maybe Stanley had been more sane than he’d thought when he wrote that.

He blinked back tears at the thought of his own family; his sister that had known about Bill for the past few months and hadn’t said a word, and both of the Stans, who had allowed any of this to happen in the first place.

Perhaps, Dipper thought as he wiped at his eyes with the back of a hand, it was time to reconsider his life choices.

Starting with the decision to stay in Gravity Falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers, welcome to Thursday =) Three chapters down, two to go before we return to bi-monthly/random updates ^^
> 
> So, how many of you hate me yet? As much as I want to hate myself for this, I really can't. Tad is such a little shit, and I absolutely love what I've done with his fanon character. Dipper on the other hand...he fucked up big time, going after Tad and then agreeing to go to his current place of residence. He's pissed and desperate for answers though, and he was pretty willing to go to great lengths to get them. On the bright side, it was a few rare answers that both he and you guys got to have ^^
> 
> And oh yeah, before I forget - many thanks to TheChronicLiar for inventing the Lovely Longings ^^


	19. Chapter 19

The next time Dipper encountered Tad Strange, it was a few days later in the woods.

“What do you want, Strange?” Dipper monotoned, not looking up from the mushroom he was studying.

“Color me impressed, Sapling,” Tad crooned somewhere close to his ear. Dipper tensed as memories of their last encounter flickered through his mind, but he pushed them to the back of his mind and locked them away. He gave no other indication that the demon was affecting him. “How did you know it was me?”

“Simple aura spell,” the brunet intoned, eyes flickering up to the fourth journal, down to the mushroom a final time, then back up to the journal. He bit his lower lip in concentration as he began to draw a rough outline of the fungus. “I’ve been tracking you since you stepped foot into these woods.”

Tad whistled lowly, and Dipper rolled his eyes. “Is there a point to you being here?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral. “Or can I just go back to ignoring your existence?”

“You’re the one that initiated contact,” Tad sing-songed in reply.

Dipper rolled his eyes again, but instead of egging the demon on with a response, he chose to ignore Tad and focused solely on his sketch of the mushroom. It wasn’t the most difficult drawing to do, but it  _ was _ necessary that he got all of the details right.

“What’cha looking at anyway?” Tad asked, peering at the journal over Dipper’s shoulder.

The brunet sighed, but didn’t make a move to cover up any of the research. “It’s a mushroom that branched off of one that can grant knowledge,” he explained. “Something happened to make that one mutate, and now this one is popping up everywhere as an invasive species. The sooner I can get a sample to my lab, the sooner I can figure out what caused the mutation and how to stop the rapid growth of it.”

“Can I eat it?” 

Dipper shrugged, pulling out a small plastic bag from his backpack. “I really don’t care if you do,” he told the demon, picking one of the mushrooms and placing it into the bag. After making sure all of the air was out of it, he gently set it in one of the front pockets of his backpack.

He stood up and brushed the dirt off of his shorts, then strode past Tad. His research on the mutated mushrooms was as good as done for now, and there were more things he wanted to knock out of the way before the day was done.

Footsteps behind him revealed that he wasn’t going to be alone in his endeavors for the day, and the fact was surprising. As he pondered what the demon’s intentions could possibly be this time, he finally realized that Tad hadn’t had any idea what he was researching.

Tad Strange wasn’t all-knowing.

Could he really be more powerful than Bill then? Or was it all just a ruse that he’d employed to help him in his attempt to sway Dipper’s loyalty? 

Bill Cipher had always been more than happy to show off his skill, something that had been helpful in determining the extent of the dream demon’s powers. Tad Strange had more than proved that he wasn’t like Bill though, so what if he really  _ was _ more powerful and was just keeping it hidden?

Dipper sighed harshly, raking a hand through his hair. He was honestly just so  _ done _ with playing games with demons, and trying to find the answers to problems he just couldn’t solve. The other day he’d been more than ready to throw in the towel and call it all quits, but the knowledge that he had nowhere else to turn was what made up his decision to stay in the odd little town.

Was this how Grunkle Stan had felt all his life? Like there was so much that he  _ could _ be and that he  _ wanted _ to be, but that he’d made his bed and that there was no other option than Gravity Falls?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Tad’s voice sounded innocently, still a few good paces behind Dipper.

“No,” Dipper replied shortly. “Thanks.”

There was about half a minute of silence before the demon piped up again. “Well, what are you planning to see next? Because if you don’t have an agenda, I wanna show you something.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow skeptically, but didn’t look back at Strange. He pondered the situation carefully, remembering the demon’s words from the hotel room a few days back. He had offered to show Dipper some things… but that wasn’t a deal. Dipper had never shaken on it, and the terms weren’t specified. Still… couldn’t be too careful. He’d been burned more than once, and it was high time he learned his lesson.

“Again, no thank you,” he finally replied. “I can figure out these things myself.”

“You sure about that?” Strange drawled, the sound of his footsteps falling silent. Dipper stopped in his tracks, turning to face the demon with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Go on,” he said grudgingly after a moment. “You so  _ clearly _ wanted my attention, and now you have it.” Another heartbeat passed. “Dumbass,” he muttered scathingly under his breath.

If Tad had heard the insult, he didn’t acknowledge it. “Think about it, Sapling,” he purred silkily, his tone making a ghost of longing twinge within Dipper. “You’re out here, all alone. These woods are dangerous, which  _ Cipher _ surely knows, and you have nothing to protect you besides the little magic you know. I could mention that you’re not even that  _ good _ at magic. If something like, say, a  _ dragon _ was to attack, you’d be dead before you could blink.”

“Alright,” Dipper found himself saying before he could properly think, nodding along with his words. “You can help me. I have some rules though,” he added as Tad took an eager step forward. “I haven’t forgotten what I’m messing with. Yeah, you might be nice, but you’re also a demon. And from everything I know, demons aren’t very kind.”

“I’m listening,” Strange grumbled, though he sounded sulky now. For the time being, he made no other advances toward Dipper.

“If you know something, you’re not going to hold anything back. I’m done trying to bribe you for information that a  _ true _ friend would give freely,” Dipper said. Maybe if Tad thought he was Dipper’s friend, he’d be more willing to agree to his terms. “And don’t even think about making deals with  me for  _ anything _ . It’s not going to happen.”

“Hold up,” Tad interrupted, rage flashing across his features as he took another step forward. “You can’t say that to me.”

“I already have,” Dipper shot back snarkily, grinning wryly. “So suck it.”

“I’m a  _ demon _ , kid. We live for making deals,” Strange emphasized, lips curling back in a snarl.

Dipper shrugged. “That’s not my problem,” he said nonchalantly.  _ I  _ figured _ saying something like this would show his true colors. He’s not  _ nearly _ as pleasant as he makes himself out to be. _ “You can make deals with other humans - none that I associate with, of course, or have associated with in the past - but you’re not allowed to even bring up making a deal with me.”

Something in Tad’s face seemed to shift, and then the demon was smirking, setting off Dipper’s internal alarms. “Okay,” Strange agreed, holding out his hand. Dipper didn’t take it, knowing that it was more than likely some twisted form of a deal in itself. “I can accept that. I won’t pester you about deals anymore, nor anyone you’ve ever associated with. I won’t need to.”

“I’m serious about this,” he warned as he turned back to the path and continued on, regardless if the demon was following. “You make one misstep, and I’m out.”

“I won’t need to hassle you about making any deals,” Tad’s voice sounded softly. “Because you’ll be the one begging  _ me _ to make one.”

Dipper’s blood ran cold at the statement, but he forced himself to continue on. He had an agenda for the day, and he wasn’t about to let Strange get in the way.

They traveled for about half an hour until Tad piped up, his tone smug. “Do you even know what you’re looking for?”

Dipper stopped in his tracks, an eye beginning to twitch in irritation. “Shut up.”

“I’m just saying~” Tad singsonged, skipping up behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder. “If you’d like, I could be the navigator for today.  You’ll see more this way, and get more factually correct information instead of floundering around a bunch of half-truths.”

“Alright,” Dipper finally agreed lightly, gesturing to the path in front of them. “Lead the way then, Tad.”

He didn’t completely know why, but some part of him had decided to trust Tad. He had  _ tricked _ Dipper the last time they’d met, had  _ violated _ him, but a voice in the back of his mind insisted on this. So, against his better judgment, he decided to listen.

Dipper followed behind the raven-haired demon for the next several minutes, pausing occasionally to catch his breath and then swear when he realized that Strange wasn’t planning on waiting for him. He hadn’t expected Tad to set such a fast pace (when maybe he should have), nor had he thought the demon would expect him to keep up without fail.

Tad led him to a more closeted part of the woods that Dipper had never been in before, and he knew by instinct that they had to be in pretty deep by now. Moss and clovers made up most of the ground, only interrupted by small patches of rich brown dirt here and there, and shelf fungi grew freely on the few trees that didn’t have vines curling around them.

All in all, Dipper thought that perhaps it was the most beautiful place he’d ever been in and he voiced the thought out loud.

Tad laughed lightly in response, offering Dipper a small smile that the brunet couldn’t help but return. They slowed down after that, strolling through the woods at an almost leisurely pace.

“They’re just up ahead,” Tad finally said nonchalantly when they came upon a spot that was covered by a curtain of leaves. The demon pulled them gently to the side to reveal the rest of the path, indicating it with his one free hand. “You can take photos of them, can try to draw them if you want, but  _ don’t _ touch them.”

“What are they?” Dipper breathed curiously, stepping ahead of the demon. He looked around and mentally mapped out the area they were in, just in case he’d ever need to find them again.

Tad didn’t answer immediately, and Dipper continued on, coming to a stop when he no longer heard the demon’s footsteps behind him.

Small bunches of lilac colored flowers with red speckles across the petals bloomed close to the roots of the trees around them. They had an almost ethereal glow to them, and the air felt light with a certain tranquility that the rest of the woods didn’t seem to have.

Dipper stepped closer to a tree that was surrounded by the small flowers and pulled out a pen and the fourth journal. He immediately started a rough sketch, vowing to come back sometime to get a good photo of it with his camera.

“Don’t touch them,” Tad cautioned once more. He placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder and leaned in close. “These are the Lovely Longings I’ve told you about. If you touch their petals, it’ll do the same thing to you that the tea I gave you did.”

Dipper tensed at the demon’s words. “Why did you decide to bring me here?” he asked quietly, his mind racing. Was this a trap, like his last encounter with Strange had been?

“Knowledge, kid,” Strange replied, his tone neutral. “It’s something you desire, and you should know this by now - I’m not like Cipher.”

Dipper gritted his teeth, but continued to jot down notes over the magical flowers and add small details to the sketch in between. For the time being, he said nothing. He knew the truth behind Strange’s words, could see past the kind facade. The demon had said it himself, Dipper was nothing more than a means to end to him. So why was he helping him then?

Finally, Tad’s voice once again pierced the silence. “Do you have everything you need?”

After pausing for a moment to check over his notes a final time, Dipper nodded. “I think so,” he replied, standing.

Tad nodded back. “Let’s get out of here then,” he stated, laying a hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “There’s more to be seen.”

The instant Strange’s hand touched his shoulder, the brunet pulled himself out of the demon’s grasp. “I’ll explore by myself, thank you very much,” he asserted.

A moment of tense silence passed, and then Tad dipped his head once. “Very well,” he acquiesced, and disappeared with a snap and a small  _ pop. _

_ Finally, _ Dipper was alone again, and the solitude gave him a chance to think straight. He left the Longings behind and went back into the main part of the woods, thinking deeply.

He and Tad weren’t friends by a long shot, and he would never even  _ begin _ to consider a formal alliance with the demon, especially not after what happened at the hotel room. He did have to admit, though… Tad Strange could be useful. So long as the demon was trying to earn his favor, Dipper could use that to his advantage to gain more knowledge.

He almost wanted to say the same for Bill Cipher… that he could use the golden demon to his advantage in this game they insisted on playing with him, but it was the look that had crossed over Bill’s face  _ that day _ that held him back every time.

No matter what he tried to think otherwise, Bill had made himself a home in Dipper’s heart, for better or worse. Despite how much he hated him at the moment, he had come to know the demon as a friend and it was because of that friendship they had forged that he couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of Bill Cipher.

But maybe, Dipper reflected as he wandered in the direction he thought the shack might be in, that was how Fate chose for his life to turn out. Maybe the most important thing he would ever do in his life was just this - consorting with demons.

He spent the rest of the day wandering around the woods, mapping out where he was in a spare notebook and taking notes over the new potential paranormal oddities he encountered throughout.

He finally returned home shortly after the sun had set, retreating to his room to work on organizing the notes he’d taken and copying them into actual pages to go into the fourth journal. The work was long and arduous, but it would all be worth it when he was done.

He first set about tearing the pages he’d worked on out of the notebook and scanning them as PDFs onto his computer, then secured them on his backup drive. He pulled out a blank piece of loose-leaf paper and carefully began rewriting the information, using the tidiest handwriting he could. It wasn’t the final copy, but it would serve as his neat sloppy-copy.

A little while after he started working, there was a knock on his door.

“Enter,” he called out, not bothering to look up. It was likely one of his family members, since Bill never dared to step foot around him too much anymore. The golden demon was normally off sulking or working with one of the Stans if he wasn’t on shift with Dipper.

His door opened, a set of heavy footsteps accompanying it. “You weren’t at dinner tonight,” a deep masculine voice noted. It was Grunkle Stan.

“Woods,” Dipper dismissed, focusing on the pages of information he’d scrawled down earlier.

“I can tell,” his great uncle commented dryly. “Is this a new tactic of yours to avoid Bill? Look, kid, we all already apologized for hiding that from you. It was because of-”

“I’m over that,” Dipper interrupted, not looking up. The words weren’t a complete lie, but they weren’t the truth either. “I’ve just been thinking that it’s about time that I get serious about these journals.”

“Bullshit,” Stan accused, moving to sit down on his bed. “Even if you are telling the truth, those journals aren’t worth skipping meals and secluding yourself from the rest of society. You’re becoming like Lee used to be, and- quite frankly- it’s a little disconcerting.” 

“I haven’t been hungry,” Dipper huffed indignantly. “And I am not. These journals are a part of the career I’ve decided to have, so it’s high time I begin working on them.”

A sharp sigh sounded, and he was pretty sure that Grunkle Stan rolled his eyes too. “That’s an even worse excuse. And don’t even try to tell me that the journals are taking up all your time, because I  _ know _ you, Dipper Pines. You’re a freaking insomniac, and you’ll be up half the night working on these damn books.”

Dipper smiled down at his work. He had him now. “I’ll go get food later, when I  _ am _ hungry,” he emphasized. “Plus, I made a breakthrough on my research today.” Technically, that wasn’t a lie.

Another sigh sounded, then Dipper’s bed creaked a Stanford stood up again. “I’ll leave you a plate in the microwave,” he finally relented, placing a hand on Dipper’s shoulder. “Try to get some sleep tonight kid.”

And then he was gone again, leaving Dipper alone with his research and thoughts. He really  _ hadn’t _ meant to miss dinner, it was just a consequence of getting lost on the way home and staying out so late with Tad in the first place.

He worked for the next hour in silence that was only broken by the sound of him humming Babba’s latest chart-topper. At exactly 9:30, as Mabel had promised when she last called, his computer pinged with the notification that she was calling him over video chat. He glanced up and hit the accept button, only looking back down at his work when her feed showed up on the screen.

“Hey Mabes,” he greeted, scribbling down some information he’d gathered from Tad about the Longings.

“You look tired,” was the first thing Mabel said, a concerned note slipping into her tone. “Have you been sleeping right?”

Dipper absentmindedly waved his hand in front of his webcam, glancing up only briefly to catch the expression on Mabel’s face. “That’s not important right now.”

“Of course it is!” Mabel chided, her voice ringing throughout his room in her anger. “Dipper, do I need to come up there and  _ make _ you go to sleep?”

“That won’t be necessary,” he murmured hastily, looking up again. “I’ve been  _ sleeping _ , just probably not as well as I should be, that’s all.”

His sister sighed and he tensed, waiting for the inevitable worrying and lecturing to begin. To his great surprise, there was none.

“So, uh- how have classes been going?” he questioned, looking back down at his work to check his progress. A moment later, he focused his gaze back on the computer and relaxed in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk.

“Pretty good!” she exclaimed, her tone perking back up. “They’re all super easy, and I’ve already made some new friends!”

 “I’m sure Paz is happy about that,” he murmured, fighting to keep a smirk off his face.

Mabel frowned at the assumption behind his words. “Of course she is, Dippingsauce. Paz wants me to be happy and besides, just because she’s my girlfriend now, that doesn’t mean that she suddenly gets to dictate what I do with my life.”

“Point made,” Dipper stated, holding his hands up in surrender. “I  guess you’ve been spending plenty of time with her too, then?”

“We  _ do  _ live together,” Mabel pointed out. “Enough about me though, this is only going to make us argue. What’s been going on in  _ your _ life this week?”

Dipper straightened up and cleared his throat, setting his feet back down on the ground. “I’ve been researching a lot,” he told her, trying to keep his voice level and not let any excitement show. Even if she was his sister, he needed to keep an air of professionalism or else he’d never be taken seriously. “And I found a new species of plant out in the woods today.” He wasn’t going to mention Tad by name. Not only did he not want to be associated with the demon, there was also too much of a chance that anything from this conversation could make its way to Bill’s ears.

And for whatever reason his mind had decided upon, that was the last thing he wanted.

“Ooh~” Mabel marvelled, perking up. “Send me the pages?”

“Already on it,” Dipper lied easily, opening up his email. “Geez, you give me too little credit Mabel.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, giving him a knowing smile. “Which is why my inbox is still empty, right?”

“Slow internet,” Dipper countered, grinning back. “You know how it is here in the middle of nowhere. You were complaining about it for most of the summer anyway!”

He quickly composed the email, marking the subject as  _ Journal Pages _ and leaving the message area blank. There was no need for one. The PDFs took only a few seconds to upload, and then the email was sent.

He pulled Skype back up to see that Mabel was staring at her webcam intently, almost as if she was trying to search his soul through the computer. “Something wrong Mabes?”

She shook her head absentmindedly, moving to rest her chin in a hand. “You seem really cheerful,” she stated carefully, still gazing at him thoughtfully. “Despite - despite everything that’s been going on. What changed?”

Dipper shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve just been trying to focus on other things,” he stated truthfully. “I sent you the email by the way.”

“I saw,” Mabel commented. About a minute passed, and then she made a small exclamation of triumph and spoke again. “Lovely Longings,” she read aloud, already having to hold back a giggle. “A brightly colored flower that grows in a hidden part of the woods, these plants cause an uncontrollable lust upon coming into contact with skin or being ingested.” Once the sentence was finished, she burst into giggles.

“How did you even find all of this out?” she choked out, occasionally gasping for breath. “Good  _ Lord _ , Bro Bro, lust causing  _ flowers _ ?” She dissolved into full blown laughter then, collapsing back onto her bed. 

Despite the embarrassment, he offered her a small smile. “A...friend showed me.” Friend. Was that what he was calling Strange now?

This sentence caused the giggles that had calmed slightly to erupt again. “ _ Right, _ ” Mabel teased, wiping at the corners of her eyes and clutching her side. “A  _ friend. _ Tell me Dippin Dots, how did  _ that _ go?”

“It’s not what you think,” Dipper protested, flushing.

“I’m  _ sure _ ,” Mabel reiterated, cackling. “I don’t need all the scandalous details to know what happened!” 

“I’m serious,” he stated warningly, his eyes narrowing slightly. As much as he could appreciate Mabel having something to laugh about, there was only so much personal humiliation he could take before it got old.

It took a couple of minutes, but Mabel’s giggles finally subsided into a serene smile. Her eyes were alight with humor, and her cheeks were a rosy pink color that conveyed her lightheartedness. “Whatever happened, Dipper, I’m happy that it did. You’ve….changed, but it’s a good kind. Did you start talking to Bill again?”

His heart clenched at the mention of Cipher and he fought to keep the emotion from showing on his face. “No. I-uh, I made...uhm.” For whatever reason, he found that he didn’t want to tell her about Tad Strange, even if it was just in mention that he had a new friend. “I found some other things to focus on, besides him,” he said at last, frowning slightly. Why was he so hung up on Tad?

Mabel gave him a perplexed look, but she didn’t call him out on the lie that must have been obvious. “Well, whatever you’ve found, it’s doing good things for you Bro Bro,” she told him, flashing a dazzling smile. “So, what else have you been working on?”

He proceeded to tell her about some of the newer things he’d begun studying and experimenting on (harmlessly) in his spare time, the goings on in the business of learning to run the Shack, and everything else that had been happening in Gravity Falls, all without mentioning Strange and the encounters they’d had.

After about another hour of talking, Mabel finally had to let him go so she could get some sleep. She promised that they’d Skype by the next week at the very latest, though, and that she’d be expecting a call from Dipper on his lunch break the next day. He promised that he would, then ended the video call and returned to the journal pages.

Aside from the couple of pages he’d scribbled down earlier that day, there wasn’t much else to do. He supposed that he could always have gotten started on copying down the original three journals and organizing their content, but that was time consuming and he was bored.

There was the factor of sleep, though…

Dipper steeled his resolve and pushed his chair back. “I should probably eat something,” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. “And I should probably take a shower sometime…”

He left his room/study and went downstairs to retrieve some food, coming back about fifteen minutes later with a piping hot plate of reheated dinner (he’d have to thank Stan later…) and a cold beer. Dipper set them both down on his desk and crossed the room to his bookshelf, pulling out a tome on demons.

He ate his dinner and sipped on his drink at a leisurely pace, flipping through pages that the author had thought detailed demon culture with a lingering curiosity.

_ I’ll have to ask Tad about this stuff sometime, _ he noted mentally, stifling a yawn. It was getting late, but he wasn’t going to let himself go to sleep. There was too much of a chance that Bill would attempt to talk to him in his dreams, and he wasn’t in any kind of mood to try reconciling with the demon yet, if ever.

When at last it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to read for another minute without nodding off, he forced himself to stand up and stretch. Satisfied once he was sure that he had managed to ward off falling asleep for just a little while longer, he grabbed some clothes and went to take a shower.

As the last many had been, it was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Thursday, my dear and precious readers =) Have you guys caught onto Tad's game yet?
> 
> This is the fourth out of fifth update for this month, and the second to last appearance we're gonna have from le square demon for some time. I won't lie, I've really enjoyed getting to write him =)
> 
> As for my Billdip week prompts, Christmas styled, they will be continued. I've been at my dad's for the past few days and I'm about to work for five days straight, but they will get written. Likely not on time, but I promise ^^ Same with the last set of prompts I never completed, those will someday be done too ^^
> 
> So for all that celebrate, have a very merry Christmas! And to those who don't - have a very merry/happy whichever holiday you celebrate in its place! ^^ <3


	20. Chapter 20

A few days later, Dipper found himself working with Tad Strange again.

“You need to keep your eyes on the path in front of you,” the demon advised at the top of his lungs as Dipper stumbled over yet another obstacle in his way. The brunet quickly regained his balance and continued running from the creature Strange had decided that he absolutely _had_ to see that day.

The chimera was admittedly gorgeous even with an enraged snarl on the lion head’s face, all of its teeth gleaming in the sunlight. In contradiction, its goat head looked almost terrified, like it wanted to back away from the chase, and the dragon head looked indignant and _bored_ of all things. The lion portion of its body was a golden color that looked like the yellow-white of the tips of flames when the light hit it just right. Scarlet wings flared outward, somehow never managing to hit any of the trees in the woods despite the small amount of space the chimera had to move, and its tail swished in what looked like joy, knocking decently sized branches off of trees.

_Overall_ , Dipper thought as he fled, swearing under his breath, _we’re fucked._ He could feel the warm breath of the dragon head on his neck, a surefire sign that it was getting ready to roast them alive, and then Tad cackled manically and grabbed onto him.

A millisecond passed, and then they were standing in a small clearing that they’d never been in before. Dipper immediately dropped to one knee, panting from the exertion of trying (and nearly failing) to outrun the chimera.

“Y-you,” Dipper huffed, looking up to glare at Tad. “You said it’d be asleep!”

“It was!” the raven-haired demon exclaimed with a bright grin; the glare he received from the brunet did nothing to deter him. “I woke it up to see what would happen!”

Tad’s unwavering cheerfulness was something Dipper was horrified to learn he was getting used to.

Dipper sighed harshly, narrowing his eyes as he stood. “Well, it’s not going to happen again,” he asserted, brushing dirt and leaves off of his jeans. “I had plans for today, and I’m going to continue them now that you’ve had your fun.”

Instead of derailing Tad like he thought the words would, it only made the demon surprisingly more perkier. “Ooh! What’re we doing?”

He paused for a moment, staring at Tad with something akin to shock on his face. Then, he snapped out of it and answered. “Well, I’ve got some...investigating to do,” he said, wondering just how much he could really trust Strange with.

“Something tells me this isn’t simple ‘book’ investigating,” Tad stated slowly, tilting his head. “Want to elaborate, Little Tree?”

“There have been...happenstances,” Dipper started, staring the demon right in the eyes. He couldn’t afford not to, couldn’t afford Tad thinking that he was _afraid_ of it or something. “Rituals, supposedly, around here since before the summer began. Bill doesn’t know the cause, and we’ve been investigating the sites to see if we can’t find anything out that way. There’s also been this...force, guarding the areas. It’s pretty dangerous, but I’ve faced it before and I know I can do the same again.”

If nothing else, his words served to spark even more interest in the eccentric demon. “Rituals,” he hummed. “How very… _enlightening._ What animals have been used?”

“Farm stock,” Dipper answered, his mind beginning to wander. “You know something about this, Strange. Tell me what it is, now.”

Tad cackled, his eyes flashing purple and fire sparking to life on his fingertips. He grinned and the fire seemed to dance with him in tandem, alive, but not destructive.

_Is his fire controlled by his emotions then?_ Dipper wondered curiously, taking a small step toward the demon. _Even more so than Bill’s? And what emotion is this? Can Tad actually be_ happy _about this?_

“Thank you for telling me this, Little Sapling,” Tad purred, calming in an instant. The purple fire stayed, though pacified greatly with its master. “Whatever foolish mortals are trying to summon her, they’re going about it all wrong. There have been multiple fires? Yes….it seems like she’s playing with them right now.”

“She who?” Dipper asked, not even bothering to try containing the excitement that filled him. Tad _did_ know something, and it seemed like he was finally going to get some answers!

And all without Bill’s help, too. He could only imagine how Cipher would react if Dipper flaunted his newfound knowledge, the irritation and jealousy that he would feel!

Bonus points, if Dipper could manage it without revealing that he was working with Tad Strange.

Who, thinking of, was giving him a sharp grin that showed off his small fangs, a minor detail Dipper had never paid attention to before.

“Why, Seraphine, of course,” Tad hummed, his eyes lighting up. “I should think that it would have been obvious, considering how many of us are playing the game! Unless, of course, you _don’t know._ ”

_There’s more than just the three of them then,_ Dipper thought, staring at the raven-haired demon. _Or does he mean that there’s only the three of them, and that I’m stupid for not knowing that?_ He decided that it had to be the second one, and nodded. “I know,” he said even though it still could have been a lie. “I, uhm...I was just...wanting you to clarify is all.”

“Right!” Tad exclaimed, tipping his head back and cackling. “And I’m likely to be the one that gets to take over Gravity Falls! That’s a good one!”

Dipper’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Whatever,” he snorted, turning away from the demon. “I have better things to do with my time than stand here and be ridiculed by you.” He began to head south, hoping that he’s eventually end up back in an area that he knew. A few minutes later, Tad’s footsteps joined his.

“So where are we going now?” the demon asked cheerfully, patting Dipper’s head as if the brunet were a dog.

He reached up and pushed Strange’s hand off, walking ahead with a scowl on his face. “If you really insist on coming with me, we’re going after one of the summoning sites and taking it out. Like I said earlier, I need to investigate it. I don’t really want you coming along though. I feel like you tend to hinder my progress more than you help it. Not to mention, this could potentially hurt your little friend,” he added, even though he didn’t know if Seraphine was his friend or not. Or if Tad was even telling the truth about her. “How am I supposed to know that you’re not going to take me to her to be killed or something?”

“I want to come along, and there’s no way you can stop me. Plus, consider this - I know more about Seraphine than you could ever hope to understand without me,” Tad pointed out cheerfully. “And you can’t hurt her, even though it would be cute to see you try. And _trust me_ , I have my own reasons for not doing that. Not like Seraph would kill you anyway.”

“Fine,” Dipper conceded with a small sigh. “You can come. But only if you actually help- I don’t need more distractions.” _Especially not with the miasma that’s more than likely guarding the area._

“You know kid, I can help you with Seraph’s defenses if you’re really that worried about them,” Strange murmured from behind.

Right. He’d forgotten that Tad could read minds.

“Don’t even think about it,” he replied dryly. “Cause my answer is still no, and it’s not going to change.”

“I never asked~” Tad sing-songed. “Remember, kid? That’s your job!”

Dipper fell silent for a few minutes, mentally mapping out every single different way this scenario could go wrong if he wasn’t careful. Even with Tad’s help, Seraphine’s defenses could easily prove to be too much for them to handle, resulting in their death or something equally as bad. What if this was really a trap, and he was just walking blindly into it?

Dipper stopped walking and turned to face Tad. “Why wouldn’t Seraphine kill me?” he asked curiously, hoping the answer would soothe some of his worries.

Tad grinned broadly. “ _That’s_ a _secret_ my dear little Sapling,” he purred. “Unless you’d be willing to give me something in exchange for that information?”

“Forget it then,” Dipper snorted, rolling his eyes and continuing on. It figured, that Tad would demand a deal for information sooner or later. Really, he should have seen it coming. After all, Bill had done the same to him, and he was a demon too.

“Don’t be so sure that you’re not going to make a deal with me,” Tad purred silkily, his voice suddenly in Dipper’s ear. The brunet froze, his heart beginning to beat faster in trepidation.”Trust me, Dipper Pines, you’re weaker than you want yourself to believe. I can feel the temptation in your soul, beckoning for you to give in.”

Dipper didn’t say anything, despite how badly he wanted to lash out at the demon. He hated how Tad managed to belittle him without trying, how he made Dipper feel like he was trapped. He didn’t realize that he had stopped moving until Tad was curling an arm around his waist and gently pushing him forward.

It took a good hour thanks to the raven haired demon latched to his side, but they finally managed to to stumble into the part of the woods that Dipper knew like the back of his hand.

“We need to go east,” the brunet decided, turning slightly on his heel.

“You sure we don’t need to go south?” Tad breathed teasingly into his ear.

Dipper’s hormones spiked and he mentally cursed. “I’m sure,” he hissed, his breath hitching as Strange’s fingers quickly curled into his side once.

“Just checking,” Tad hummed, feigning innocence when Dipper stepped back and shot him a glare.

“Whatever,” Dipper huffed, because it seemed like that was the only word he seemed to be able to say around the demon.

They continued on in their travels, neither of them saying a word for the next several minutes. As time passed, Dipper’s pace slowed and he allowed himself to become fully immersed in the happenings around him. They were nowhere near any sites of the summonings, if the cheerful chirping of the birds overhead was to be any indication. The sun was shining brightly between the trees, lighting their path and casting shade in all the right places. The woods were alive, and on such a nice day it was hard to believe that it could ever pose any danger.

That content feeling changed though, the second Dipper and Tad stepped within a certain distance of the ritual site - the radius was probably about half a mile. The bright sunshine suddenly seemed to grow colder, the shadows around them more prominent. Even though the chirping of the birds and the movements of the other creatures of the woods were still there, it was quieter in an almost morbid way.

If Tad was at least half as affected by the oppressive aura, he didn’t show it. Where it knocked the breath out of Dipper’s lungs, the demon stood tall and only raised an eyebrow.

“This is some _dark_ magic,” Strange breathed, an emotion that Dipper couldn’t make out reflecting in his eyes. “You said you worked against it before?” His grip loosened around Dipper’s waist and moved instead to his hand.

The brunet nodded, inhaling sharply. It was harder to breathe than usual in this atmosphere, and Dipper found that he was struggling more than usual.

“C-Cipher and I did,” he wheezed. “I-I think the miasma can sense that it was me who helped defeat it. I think it’s angry.”

Strange nodded thoughtfully. “It certainly seems like something Seraph would use,” he murmured, snapping his fingers. The aura in the area was still there, but the constriction in Dipper’s chest eased up. “I commend you kid, this level of dark magic is normally enough to kill a mortal that stumbles across it. To have faced it head-on...truly impressive. I can see what Cipher saw in you.”

“Leave Bill out of this,” he warned, glaring at Strange. “That’s another condition of you being allowed to tag along with me - he becomes nonexistent.”

Tad laughed lowly and flashed him a bright grin. “It’s amusing,” he hummed, “the lengths you’ll go to in order to keep Cipher away from me. Are you ashamed of the relations you shared with him?” His tone changed, turning into a huskier, lust-charged one. “Or are you ashamed that I can see why he valued you? Because it makes you think of the intimacy that you’ve shared with me?”

Dipper gritted his teeth. He might have been grateful to Tad for helping him, but that didn’t mean that the demon had any right to speak about him like that.

“I strongly advise that you shut up,” he said quietly, yanking his hand out of Strange’s. “And if you don’t want to, leave.”

Dipper sped up his pace a little bit to gain some distance from the demon following behind him, mentally cursing the fact that he’d ever allowed this alliance to get this far in the first place.

He found that his footsteps were the only sounds he could hear after a few minutes, and was surprised when he turned around to find that Tad was nowhere in sight.

“Huh,” he murmured to himself, turning back around and continuing on. A small part of him wondered where Tad had gone, but the rest of him didn’t care.

Despite the fact that he was basically walking headfirst into danger, he could help but relax. He could do this. The miasma was something that he’d faced before, and it was something that he could face again, given that he knew what to expect. And now that Strange was out of the way….he was free to do as he liked, on his own.

That thought in mind, he continued on toward the site of the summoning. He didn’t stop until he was just outside the clearing, and even then he wasn’t sure what was stopping him.

_Probably the fear,_ he thought, thinking back to the last time he’d gone up against the miasma.  He and Bill had almost died then, and they’d mostly stayed far away from the summoning sites.

“Did you think for even a moment that I was going to let you do this by yourself?” Tad’s voice suddenly murmured into Dipper’s ear as lithe arms circled around his waist.

Dipper tensed, despite how his body wanted to feel comforted by the domestic action. “I thought you ran off,” he muttered sullenly.

Tad chuckled lowly, bending his head and pressing a kiss to Dipper’s neck. “I sensed something following us and went off to take care of it. You can’t get rid of me that easy, Sapling.”

“Let’s just get to work,” the brunet grumbled, stepping out of the raven-haired demon’s grasp. He moved to go into the clearing, but Tad reached out a hand and pressed it firmly over his chest.

“Allow _me_ to deal with this,” Strange growled lowly, his eyes flashing. Without waiting for a response from Dipper, he stepped forward.

Instantly, the miasma attacked.

A fog darker and thicker than the one that had appeared when Bill was with him filled the clearing, completely obstructing Dipper’s view of Tad.

For a moment, concern filled him. The miasma was steering clear of him because he wasn’t in the direct location of where the summoning had happened like Tad was, but he remembered the effect it had had on both him and Bill when they _did_ mess with it.

_Tad means nothing to you,_ his mind reminded him as he took a small step backward. _Remember? You’re just using him to your advantage._ Hard as he tried though, he couldn’t help but worry about what would become of the demon.

Suddenly the air in the clearing shifted, going from just _being_ there to slowly moving towards the left in a circle. The whole of the woods had gone deathly silent and it took Dipper a moment to realize that he’d begun holding his own breath at some point in time.

As fast as the miasma had appeared however, it took its sweet time dissipating. The air was beginning to clear though, and he could once more make out the form of Tad and a bright glow of purple that could only have been emanating from the demon’s eyes.

Strange was shockingly still standing, the miasma revolving around him, bending to his will it seemed. Despite the fact that he could see Tad’s face, Dipper couldn’t quite make out any specific expression on his features. Before he knew what he was doing, he called out to him.

“Are you okay?”

Now he could definitely make out a smirk on Strange’s lips as he replied. “I can handle myself, Dipper Pines,” the demon replied just loud enough for him to hear. He never lost his composure once, a fact that Dipper couldn’t help but admire despite himself.

The miasma finally managed to clear, disappearing into...nothingness, it seemed. Thin air. Dipper exhaled shakily as he took a step forward, surveying the clearing with a still weary eye.

“Is it gone?”

Tad’s smirk softened marginally. “You doubt my skills, Sapling?” he returned, his tone even with Dipper’s. “That hurts. Of course it’s gone- otherwise I wouldn’t be allowing you to move right now. Tricky stuff, though. Seraph was thorough in her warding of these places...once more, I commend you on facing this before and being alive to speak of it.”

“I had help though,” Dipper pointed out, heat rising to his cheeks. “It wasn’t something that I did on my own.”

“Didn’t you though, Little Tree?” Tad pressed, striding forward and taking one of Dipper’s hands in his own. “Because the way _I_ see it, you did it all on your own. Cipher may have started it, but he collapsed, did he not?”

“Well...yeah.” Dipper shifted uncomfortably, though he didn’t yank his hand out of Strange’s. He briefly wondered how Tad knew about Bill’s near death, but decided not to ask. Probably some kind of weird power or another, if what he knew about demons was correct.

“And _you_ were the last one standing were you not?”

“Technically, I collapsed too,” He pointed out, gritting his teeth in annoyance. “Whatever ploy you’re trying to use this time to get me to make a deal with you, Tad, isn’t going to work.”

“You wound me Dipper,” the demon murmured, laying his free hand over his heart. “I’m only trying to give you the recognition and credit you deserve.”

Now Dipper yanked his hand out of Tad’s, anger flashing in his eyes. “Well stop,” he asserted, backing up a few steps. “I didn’t face the miasma on my own the last time, and I didn’t bring it down by myself. I almost died too, which I’m _sure_ you know.”

He pushed past Strange and strode into the clearing, intent on moving forward with his solo investigation. Once the demon was out of his line of vision though, he took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

He could do this. Now that his greatest opposition was out of the way, he could focus on the investigation and see if there were any new details to add to the notes about what he knew about the summonings. And maybe, just maybe with Tad there, he would learn more about them than if were completely on his own.

_Yes,_ he mused as he bent down to begin rifling through the ashes. _Tad is certainly proving to be an advantage to keep around, even if he is constantly flirting with me in the hopes of making a deal._  

This summoning had been larger than the last, that much was clear to see. The pile of ashes and the bones he found within were significantly bigger this time, and it seemed to go along with the story Tad had told him.  

Seraphine was toying with them. Whether it was Dipper and Bill, or the mortals that were trying to summon her, it was pretty obvious that this was a game to her.  

In a way, it sent chills down Dipper's spine. If this was just a game, what was he? If Seraphine really had enough power to employ a deadly miasma as a guard and still call this a game, how was she ever going to be defeated?

“You know, you should really take your mind off of Seraph,” Tad’s low voice murmured by his ear. “It won’t do to dwell on what might be.”

Dipper tensed, clenching his fists in the pile of ash. “And you should _really_ learn the definition of personal space,” he snarked back under his breath. “And quit reading my mind. It was bad enough when Cipher was practically _living_ in it- I don’t need you constantly invading it too.”

To his surprise, Tad complied and took a step back. “I’m serious,” he continued. “Seraph isn’t someone you should be worried about. She might enjoy causing pain, but she would certainly never kill you. You’re too valuable.”

“ _Why_ , though?” the brunet questioned, plucking a small tooth from the ashes and standing. He didn’t face the demon, instead choosing to examine the small bone. “What makes me so special?”

“You’ll find out in time, kid,” Strange murmured, chuckling. “What’s the point of this, if you learn everything now? Nah, it’s better to keep you wondering and guessing.”

“You don’t know,” the brunet murmured, resisting the urge to laugh. “You’re just pulling things out of your ass now, and hoping I’ll believe them. Right?”

“...If that’s what you’d like to think.” Tad’s voice grew slightly more distant, and it made Dipper wonder if he’d finally annoyed the demon to the point of leaving for the day.

“Going so soon?” he questioned, finally pivoting around.

Tad, to his slight disappointment, had not decided to leave. The demon was standing near the edge of the clearing, studying Dipper with an almost curious expression.

“What?” Dipper questioned, raising an eyebrow derisively.

“Nothing really,” Tad hummed contently, tipping his head once. “You really are such an interesting human though, Sapling. You could choose to leave this all behind or embrace your destiny, and you do neither.”

Dipper shifted, narrowing his eyes to hide his discomfort. “You don’t know anything about me,” he muttered, though he knew that it had to be a lie. While Tad wasn’t all-knowing by any means, he did possess more knowledge than Dipper could ever hope to perceive.

“I know more than you think,” the raven-haired demon purred. “But okay, I can accept that you don’t want to talk about fate and all that stuff. So what else do you want to do today?”

“Is it really too much for you to leave me _alone_ for a little while?” Dipper ground out through gritted teeth. “I have things that I want to research in peace, and I can’t do that with you around.”

He wiped his hands over his jeans to clean off some of the ashes, shoving the tooth into his pocket for later study. He glanced around the clearing, trying to decide which way to go.

Tad strode forward until he was in front of Dipper, his eyes dilated and gleaming with something that looked akin to hunger. “You need a guide, little pet,” he murmured, reaching out a hand to take Dipper’s. He laced their fingers together, but made no other advances. “These woods are so dangerous- even for someone like you- to travel in alone, and it’s foolish for Cipher to just leave you to your own devices.”

“I’ll do what I want,” Dipper replied curtly, rolling his eyes and tearing his hand away from Strange’s. “Cipher or you be damned.”

He brushed past Tad and strode out of the clearing, intent on finding something else to research for the day. It was too early to go back to the shack, and he could jot down everything new he’d learned about the summonings later on while he was fighting off sleep.

As he walked around and surveyed his surroundings though, he began to realize that there wasn’t really much of anything that he really could do. Even though it was only September, fall was beginning to set in and most of the creatures in the woods were beginning to prepare for the long winter months ahead. Sure, he could attempt to research them while they were still awake, but he’d more than likely be doing so on the risk of getting himself killed or something.

Finally, Dipper decided to stop and take a break. He selected a tree that looked like it wouldn’t be too rough against his back and settled down against it, closing his eyes in contentment. The sun felt warm against his face and a lack of sleep was beginning to catch up with him.

“You’ve picked a nice spot to rest, Sapling.”

Of _course_ Tad followed him.

He cracked open an eye to see that the demon was sitting crosslegged in front of him, staring at him with that same expression from the clearing.

“Clearly, you’re not going to leave,” Dipper murmured, shutting his eye again. “And apparently you know more about me than I do...why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself Tad? If you’re really as open as you make yourself out to be?” It was a tactic he wasn’t so sure would work, but a small part of him felt that he had to at least try.

“All right then,” Tad conceded a moment later. “What do you want to know?”

“How old are you?”

There was a pause for the next few moments, and then he responded. “Four hundred and sixteen years old. That’s in demon years, by the way. I was twenty-two when I became one.”

Mentally, Dipper calculated how long ago that would have been. “So you were around when the Inquisition was?”

“I got killed by those guys,” Tad commented, his tone nonchalant. “The Roman Inquisition, anyway. Suspected of witchcraft - which, they weren’t wrong. Burned me at the stake, then the next thing I know I’m a demon.”

Dipper opened his eyes and studied Tad, searching for some kind of sign that he was lying. If the demon was, he couldn’t tell. “Did death hurt?”

“It did at the time,” Stange replied thoughtfully. “Think though, Sapling - do you think it wouldn’t hurt you if you got burned alive? And not by the flames that you conjure either. Now that I’ve lived through it though, I’m not afraid anymore.”

Dipper nodded, his curiosity piqued. “What was it like? After you turned?”

Tad chuckled. “Contemplating selling me your soul to become a demon now?” There was amusement in his tone, but somehow Dipper knew that it was only a joke. “At first, I didn’t know what was going on. Most demons don’t when they first turn,” he added when Dipper gave him a perplexed look. “It took a decade or two for me to really remember everything, which is sooner than it takes most demons. I’m more powerful than most though, so that shouldn’t be too surprising.”

Dipper nodded, internally rolling his eyes at Tad’s ego. He kept listening as the demon talked about his experiences throughout his life though, and he slowly grew more entranced by what Tad was saying until one point when Tad broke off midsentence and started staring at him again.

“Once more I can see why Cipher values you,” Tad murmured, his eyes briefly gazing into Dipper’s. “You yearn for knowledge, yet only to know instead of use in battle. There is so much potential within you, so much more than your destiny tells of.”

“I still don’t know what my supposed destiny even is, and apparently nobody’s going to tell me anytime soon,” Dipper pointed out. “And I don’t care about using what I learn against others.”

“That’s such a shame,” Tad mused. “You could be great, you know. With the power you have, all the knowledge in the world could be yours. All it takes is a few words, Dipper Pines.”

Dipper didn’t say anything, but he mused over what Tad was saying. _Did he really just imply that I have power? And a lot of it?_ He shook his head. _No. This is just a trick._

“I’m beginning to see that power doesn’t appeal to you though,” the demon continued, his eyes flashing. “And that’s very perplexing to me, Sapling.”

Dipper snorted. “You know absolutely nothing about me Strange, that’s why everything about me confuses you. Even Bill knows how I am, and I’m not even on speaking terms with him right now.”

“So you _aren’t_ in the best of relations with him anymore,” Tad mused. “I thought that might have been the case. It would certainly explain recent happenstances, anyway. Nonetheless, I’m afraid that our time together must be cut short.”

If nothing else, _that_ caught Dipper’s attention. “You’re leaving?”  He questioned, sitting up straighter. _Finally?_ “Why? Where are you going?”

“The where isn’t so important,” Tad purred lowly, something dangerous gleaming in his eyes. “As for the why, I have an important business affair to attend to.”

“Business affair?” Dipper asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. “That’s what we’re calling it now?”

“It’s really none of your business,” Strange said loftily. “I’ll be gone for a little while, but I’ll come back for you so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“I wasn’t going to worry in the first place, but sure,” the brunet snarked, rolling his eyes. He stood, brushing dirt and leaves off his jeans. “If we’re done here then, I’m going to go home.”

“Wait.” Tad swiftly got to his feet and grabbed Dipper’s arm. “I’m not done with you yet.”

“But _I’m_ done with _you_ ,” he stressed, yanking his arm out of the demon’s grip. “Why can’t you understand that? Even Bi-” He cut himself off abruptly, averting his gaze from Tad. Bill _would_ have understood when to leave well enough alone, but he wasn’t here right now and they were fighting.

“You don’t _get_ to choose,” Tad hissed, stepping forward and pinning him to a tree.

Dipper glared at the demon before him. “You know, even if you _have_ been a human for a long time, you don’t seem to realize that I have this thing called _free will_.”

Tad’s eyes flashed again, and this time there was anger in them. “You listen here Dipper Pines,” he growled lowly, bringing a hand up to cup the brunet’s chin. His nails dug into Dipper’s skin slightly, not yet breaking the skin. “You’re not the one in control anymore- I am. And I _said_ that I’m not done with you yet.”

“Then do it,” Dipper muttered through gritted teeth, disgust filling him. “Whatever the hell it is, just do it and go away.”

He couldn’t believe that he had stuck around Tad for as long as he did, had called him an ally. Strange was toxic in every way possible, cunning as a fox and evil as could be.

_I may have fucked up a little,_ he thought guiltily, closing his eyes. He had no idea what was going to happen, but at this point he didn’t even want to know.

Keeping his eyes shut, he could hear the demon shuffling before him. Suddenly he felt a brush by his ears. “I’ll let you have your way, kid. For now. But I _will_ be back, and I _will_ get my way.” Tad pulled back, letting go of his grip.

When he finally dared to open his eyes once more, Tad was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening my dear readers, and happy new year =) Also, welcome to Thursday/Friday ^^
> 
> This chapter marks Tad's exit for now, and the end of his little arc. I hope you guys have enjoyed his character as much as I have! Dipper's finally gotten smarter, and he's on the way to learning =)
> 
> Since December's pretty much officially over (I still have an hour!^^) updates are going to return to every other week on Friday, and this time I think I can keep with it at a good schedule. If I happen to be wrong, I say fuck it and post the new ones once they've been beta'd ^^
> 
> Happy 2016, and see you guys in a couple of weeks =)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for a quick note, this chapter takes place a few weeks after the last one~ Also, this one's pretty dialogue heavy, but it's important ^^

“Dipper, we need to talk.”

He was confronted by Stanley one chilly September afternoon, the moment he stepped inside the house on his way back in from the woods. His grandfather gestured to the dining room. “Shall we have a seat?”

Dipper hesitated for a moment, then begrudgingly nodded and strode into the room ahead of Stanley. He took a seat at the table, and Lee took the one opposite.

“Let me guess,” he murmured sardonically, propping his head up with an elbow on the table. “You’ve decided to lecture me about my attitude towards you guys and Bill, right?”

"That," Stanley replied evenly. "Among other things. Dipper, you've let yourself go. You're not eating anymore, and your sister is getting worried. We all are."

“I have too,” Dipper protested indignantly, sitting up straighter and crossing his arms. “Just because I refuse to eat with _liars_ doesn’t mean that I don’t eat.”

“You’re not sleeping then,” his grandfather noted, dismissing the insult. “I keep waking up at ungodly hours of the morning and hearing either footsteps or running water. This can't keep going on, Dipper."

“The shack is haunted,” Dipper insisted stubbornly, even though he knew Lee would never believe the obvious lie.

Stanley raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? You're going to try _that_ one, out of all the possible lies you _could_ have come up with? See, that's how I know something's up with you."

"I take naps every once in awhile," Dipper finally muttered, accepting the fact that there wasn't any chance of him escaping the lecture.

"Are you worried about seeing _him?"_ Stanley's voice lowered in what seemed like pity, and Dipper _hated_ it. "Is that what it is?"

“No!” He shot a glance at his grandfather. “I just…” he sighed, giving in to Stanley’s wishes to talk. “I just don’t want want to talk to him. Or even look at him or _think_ about him. I wish he wasn’t here all the time, reminding me of everything that went down. I hate what he did, and maybe even more of what he _didn’t_ do. I hate _him_ \- his _manipulation_. Maybe… maybe I hate _myself_ a little, for _falling_ for it all, you know? Really, I just… I hate this.” He finished off quietly, and awaited a response.

“So it’s not really about me or my brother then,” Lee noted, looking relieved. “Look Dipper, I think you need to listen to what I have to say for a change, instead of storming around like a misunderstood teen.”

“What if I don’t want to listen?” Dipper muttered, although his resolve was weakening. A large part of him was tired of being angry all the time, and putting forth the effort of avoiding everyone.

Stanley shrugged. “Then block it out. I think you need to hear this and I’m going to say it regardless of what you think.” The elder man leaned back, and Dipper followed suit, willing himself to listen for a change.

“Look, Dipper, Bill’s already tried explaining some things to you, and it’s more than obvious that you didn’t understand.”

Dipper rolled his eyes, but he said nothing. Sure, Bill had _tried_ explaining his ‘disorder’, but _tried_ was the key word and he’d failed miserably.

“When Bill became a human, he...changed,” Stanley started slowly. “At first, he was the same as always. Then he had to learn how to fit in and act like a normal person, and then the emotions that humans normally experience fully set in and split Bill into two people.”

“That makes just as much sense as when he explained it,” Dipper said flatly, biting the tip of his tongue to keep from rolling his eyes again.

Stanley sighed. “That’s what I think happened, anyway,” he replied. “Dissociative Identity Disorder has never been easy for anyone to explain. At any rate, Bill gained a second personality from everything and that’s the one you’ve known all summer.”

“Why am I supposed to care?” Dipper questioned, shifting slightly in his seat. “It doesn’t change what happened.”

“I don’t suppose that I can make you care about this,” Stanley conceded thoughtfully. “However, at least you’re listening. If you don’t want to listen to me theorize about Bill, then I suppose it’s about time that I told you about what happened thirty six years ago.”

The teen looked over at Stanley, an eyebrow raised skeptically. “I don’t see what any of that has to do with me,” he muttered. “I didn’t even exist back then.”

“It might not have much to do with you, but I think it can help shed some light on this whole situation,” Stanley replied evenly, raising an eyebrow back. “There are some things you need to understand about Bill Cipher, and some things I think you just need to hear before you go around casting judgment on the rest of us. Do you have any idea what kind of a state Mabel’s been in recently because you’ve been talking to her less and less? She sounded near tears when I talked to her a few days ago, and you’ve got her convinced that you blame her for what happened.”

“I-” Dipper cut himself off, looking down at his hands guiltily. It was true that he hadn’t been calling her much lately, but he’d never noticed any negative effects it might have had on her. Was she really _that_ upset? “I’ve been busy, is all. I didn’t mean-”

“You might not have _meant_ for a lot,” his grandfather interrupted, a small note of anger slipping into his tone. “But it happened anyway.”

“I… alright, I’m listening,” Dipper finally murmured in resignation after a long pause. He was still mad at his grandfather for keeping Bill’s identity from him and even _working_ with the demon, but a small part of him was excited at the prospect of finally getting to hear this story. He’d wanted to know the full tale since first laying his eyes on Stanley six years earlier, and it seemed like he would at last.

“It all started way back when I had just finished college…” Stanley started, an almost wistful expression crossing over his features. “And I started studying the supernatural occurrences of this town.”

Dipper nodded impatiently. He already knew about the college and the grant to study, but what he wanted to know were the details his grandfather had left vague in his initial explanation of things when he came out of the portal.

“McGucket and I were neck-deep in solving mysteries and filling out the journals as best as we could when we first came across Bill. At the time, neither of us were too sure just _what_ to think of him, but it passed and the three of us eventually grew close.”

Dipper nodded again, not saying anything. He was aware that his grandfather had worked alone with McGucket for some time supposedly, and then Grunkle Stan had come along because he’d needed a place to stay.

“Stanford didn’t trust Bill at all when they first met, accused both Fiddleford and I of being Satanists. He wasn’t right, of course, but it reinforced what Fids and I already knew - that Bill _was_ a demon, even if he seemed nice.”

“ _Seemed_ being the key word here,” Dipper pointed out. “If you knew he was a demon, you should have never decided to befriend him.”

“Cipher is a charming being by nature,” Stanley countered with a sharp look at him. “And beyond that, he hadn’t done anything that hurt us or the town. Eventually, even Stanford’s paranoia diminished, and the four of us became great friends. Bill had warned us that things were eventually going to happen to Gravity Falls when Ford confronted him about his heritage, but even so, we trusted him and he helped us out with a lot of our research.”

"Why would you work with him then, if you knew that he'd eventually destroy everything?" Dipper asked quietly, looking back down at the table. “That’s not making any sense.”

Stanley sighed, and for a moment, Dipper could feel how tired his young grandfather really was. "It seems stupid, now that I think about it. We were young, naïve when we met him…I guess, a small part of me hoped that we could change his ways. Bill wasn't always such a cruel demon, Dipper. Once, he was kind and almost human as he is now - hard to tell from an outsider's point of view what he really was."

"So what about the whole 'do not summon at all costs' deal? If he was so _wonderful_ …why would you write that?"

A sad half-smile graced Stanley's face. "That was Stanford's input into the journal. At one point when we were working together, Bill revealed information about a device that could grant humankind infinite knowledge…the same device that brought me back here, actually."

"Did you know?" Dipper questioned curiously as Stanley sipped absentmindedly from a bottle of water. "About the results that the device could yield, besides the knowledge?"

"Bill tried to warn me when we were alone," Stanley murmured quietly, locking his gaze on Dipper's. "I chose not to listen to him, I chose to be the one to test out the machine that we had all created together. When we started it up…everything gets kind of blurry in my memories at that point. I remember the town temporarily losing its sense of gravity, and I remember being sucked into the machine - it acted as a portal. I went into a different dimension where every day was a struggle for survival."

“That still doesn’t tell me anything about now though, or why I should supposedly forgive Bill,” Dipper muttered.

For a few long moments, Stanley seemed to study him. “You and I are alike in regards to Bill,” he finally said carefully.

Dipper couldn’t hide his puzzlement. _I know we’re alike in general, but towards Bill…?_ “Could you maybe elaborate on that?” He grew concerned as Stanley fidgeted and… was he… _blushing_?

“As it would happen, we both held- hold, in your case- some, er… _affections_ for…” His voice trailed off, but Dipper easily caught the gist of what his grandfather was trying to say. The room grew silent, the younger completely unable to say anything while the older was too embarrassed to, going as far as to avoid Dipper’s gaze.

“You’ve got to be _kidding_ me,” he finally breathed. He knew that his tone made him sound horrified, but that was kind of true and he was beyond caring. “You- _oh my god._ ” Stanley made an indistinguishable sound in the back of his throat, either pain or shame or both.

_Good,_ Dipper thought, feeling sick. _Oh god. How can… and Stanley and Bill... and Bill and I, and… and I was considering_ sleeping _with him!_

“Y-You have to understand,” Stanley stammered, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I was once _just_ as young as you are, and Cipher knew what I found attractive and wh-”

“I am _not_ having this discussion with you,” Dipper hissed, flushing in embarrassment. “Oh my _lord._ Just- spare me this, please.” He turned around, not wanting to continue, but not wanting to leave it on this note. “Go on with the rest of your story. What happened here?” Stanley seemed just as eager to move on, and rushed forward with his narrative.

"Stanford told me that he got badly injured, which is where the blood from Journal Three came from. He was so angry with Bill that he summoned another demon and banished him back to the mindscape. Fiddleford was the one operating the portal that day and he felt so guilty about losing me that he created the memory erasing device and zapped himself to insanity. Bill felt so bad about what happened that he focused solely on his plans for Gravity Falls. Stanford wrote the warning on Bill's page in Three and told McGucket to hide the book, and the rest is history."

“That doesn’t make any sense…” Dipper murmured. “By the time we got you back from the other dimension, Grunkle Stan was trying to get the journals _back_. Why didn’t he just keep them in the first place after he banished Bill?”

“I’m not too sure,” Stanley admitted. “I think it might have just been the sudden aftershock of me disappearing, and the desire to distance himself as far away from the journals as possible. After all, Bill helped create them.”

“What does that have to do with _now_ , then?” Dipper questioned, raising an eyebrow. “I get the past, and I think I get why you’re trying so hard for me to be friends with Bill again, but what does that have anything to do with the _present_?”

"I'm getting to that," Stanley told him patiently. "After I disappeared, Bill was working on his plans for the world and keeping a close eye on Stanford in the event that I ever returned. A couple of years ago, he came back around and apologized for everything….tried to make things go back to normal, in a way. Your great uncle wouldn't have any of it. He told Bill to stay away from this place, threatened to banish him again. I felt kinda bad for him."

"I wouldn’t have!" Dipper interjected. "After everything he's done to us-!"

“You need to _talk_ to him,” Stanley told him, desperation clear in his expression. “I can’t make you understand, and this is something Bill needs to tell you. Bill...he’s complicated, sometimes a bit selfish and he may have done some bad things in the past, but...what I hoped to accomplish was not in vain.”

“Fine,” Dipper bit out, running a hand through his unkempt hair as he stood. “He messed with my head, _tricked_ me, but _sure_. I’ll humor you and go talk to the bastard.”

He left without another word, or even waiting to hear a response from his grandfather. He didn’t particularly care to hear what Stanley had to tell him anyway, and he knew exactly where he was going.

It was well past Bill’s shift time, and he’d more than likely be sulking in his room since he wasn’t really very welcome in the house anymore. Or, if he was, Dipper was just good enough at avoiding him that their paths didn’t cross unless they were working.

“I need to talk to you, apparently,” Dipper voiced the moment he stepped inside Bill’s small home. He hadn’t bothered with knocking since he figured it was a courtesy the demon didn’t deserve.

A glance around the room revealed that yes, Bill was laying on his bed and giving him a death glare now, and that the dream demon had decided to change up the decor again. The walls had been enchanted to make it look like the house was secluded in the woods, surrounded by trees. Gentle sunlight that Dipper knew was just an illusion filtered in through the oak leaves, dappling the ground with spots of light. The ground had been completely transformed by the looks of it, redesigned to be an almost exact replica of the forest floor. The was even a small bubbling brook that ran underneath Cipher’s bed and vanished into the wall to his right.

“-and seriously Pine Tree, you better take your shoes off before I burn them off your feet for you,” Bill said, making Dipper turn his focus to the blond. “I spent way too much effort on the ground for you to muck it all up.”

Dipper frowned, but did as the demon asked. He let out a gasp as his feet touched upon soft grass and dirt, instead of the carpet he’d last known of Bill having. “This is _real_?”

Bill snorted in response. “Of course it is, you idiot. I’m an all powerful being that can change reality in a second; switching up this small hovel is a piece of cake! And unless you want a demonstration of just how much I can bend, you’d better state what you came here for and then get out.”

“I already told you,” he said bluntly, wriggling his toes and enjoying the feeling. _Since when has Bill been so_ salty _about me talking to him? I thought he_ wanted _this._ “I came here to talk to you.”

“Then spit it out already,” Bill hissed vehemently, sitting up. “I’ve gotten tired of your head games Pine Tree.”

_Of_ my _head games?_ Dipper’s eyes narrowed in barely concealed anger. “That’s rich, coming from _you_. But whatever. For one thing, this stops now,” he crossed his arms. “I came here to try to be civil with you for once, but I’m not gonna do it if you’re going to treat me like shit.”

Bill glowered at him, but he slowly settled back to lean against his headboard, crossing his own arms as he did so. “Go on then.”

Dipper moved forward and sat on the lounge chair beside the bed, trying himself to be civil towards the other. “Look, I talked to Stanley today, and he advised that I come here to talk to you. So, is there anything you want to tell me?”

“Besides the fact that I don’t like your tone?” the blonde sneered. “I can’t think of a thing that I want to say to you.”

Dipper sighed, resting his forehead on his index and middle finger, massaging his temple with his thumb. “Look, I... I think you should apologize to me, and explain yourself.” He had been about to apologize _himself_ , but for what reason? Technically, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Apparently, Bill disagreed, because he made snort of contempt. “ _Excuse me_? I think it’s _you_ who needs to apologize to _me_.”

“For what?” Dipper shot back, anger slipping into his tone. “Falling for your lie?”

“ _Foŗ i̢gnor͠in̴g̷ m͢e,”_ Bill snarled, leaning forward. “Do you have a͡n̡y ̶id̸eà what that _did_ to me?”

“Do you have any idea what you did to _me?_ ” Dipper asked, his tone near a shout. “Or are you just ignoring it, as per your usual? When are _my_ feelings going to matter to _you,_ Bill? Huh?” His voice cracked, and he wasn’t surprised to find himself blinking back tears of frustration.

A heavy silence fell between them then, as awkward as it was laced with anger. Neither one of them moved, both glaring at one another with an intensity that almost burned. Bill was the first to break it, glancing away from Dipper, his expression changing drastically.

“I’m a...should have _known..._ ” he uttered, his tone nearly inaudible.

Dipper raised an eyebrow in half curiosity, half skepticism. “What was that?” he questioned brusquely.

“I’m a _demon_ , Pine Tree,” Bill snapped, back to glaring at him again. “Demons aren’t supposed to _feel_ , which is something you would know if you’d actually _pay_ _attention_ to what’s written in those dumb journals of yours.”

“I paid attention to _you_ ,” Dipper spat, standing. He clenched his fists to keep from lashing out at anything, even on accident. “I thought you _cared_ about me Bill! You-you - you acted like you _liked_ me, and I _fell_ for it! I thought you _did_ have feelings!”

“I _do_!” Bill shouted, and the tension in the room snapped like a twig. It fell silent again. For Dipper, it was because of the confusion mixed with surprise and disbelief that filled him. And for Bill…

Well, for Bill, it seemed to be because he was trying to keep his temper in check and badly failing at it.

“Do you have _any_ idea what I’ve been going through?” Bill finally questioned, voice low in hatred. “ _Demons don’t feel_ , and I’m no exception to that. Do you think it’s been a _cakewalk_ for me, being stuck in a human body after going thirty seven years without? Suddenly having human _emotions_ and _instincts_ shoved at me, without reprieve?”

Dipper opened his mouth to respond, but the elder teen was already continuing on, lost in his own ranting.

“I thought I’d _known_ what I was getting myself into when I made that deal. I wa-”

“What deal?” Dipper inquired curiously, scrunching his brows. Had this been why Stanley wanted him to talk to Bill so badly? Had he been forbidden from saying anything about it?

Bill glared at him, his eye flashing in vexation. “ _Don’t_ interrupt me again,” he warned.

“Why did you make any deals then, if you’re so unhappy with how they turned out?” Dipper countered, just to spite the demon in a way. “I didn’t take you for a fool, Cipher.” Fire ignited all over Bill’s body, but Dipper found that he wasn’t afraid of the consequences of continuing to defy him. He cocked an eyebrow. “Well? I’m waiting.”

“I’m not obligated to tell you anything, you ungrateful meatsack,” Bill hissed, the flames intensifying for a moment. “If you even _knew_ what I’ve given up-”

“You haven’t really given me much to know,” Dipper sneered. “But whatever.” He realized that egging on Bill’s temper was only going to make matters worse though, and that wasn’t his goal even though he still thought Cipher deserved it. He’d come here to make a truce, and somehow he was going to accomplish that.

“So, why don’t you explain some things to me then?” he asked, sitting back down and softening his tone. “Like your multiple personality disorder? And the thing that happened between you and Stanley thirty six years ago? I know most of what happened then, but there are some spots that are still confusing. Maybe you can clear them up for me?”

To his luck, the flames receded somewhat, and Bill sat back down on his bed. “We’ll start with what happened in the past, then. Tell me what’s confusing you,” Cipher demanded, his eye flashing again.

“Your part in the portal,” Dipper replied immediately. “Why my Grunkle Stan blamed you. Why you didn’t try to make amends sooner.”

Bill studied him for a long moment, then snorted, the flames that covered his body finally dying out. “You’re stupider than I thought,” he mocked. “I wanted the portal built on the ruse that it would create infinite knowledge, but would really bind the mindscape to your world. I had to create a human body to interact with your grandfather and his nerdy friend though, and having a corporeal body caught me off guard. Disgusting things, emotions are.”

“Stanley told me you two were a thing,” Dipper mumbled awkwardly. “So it clearly wasn’t all that bad.” _Does he really think emotions are gross? He seems to like having them now..._

Bill’s eye narrowed. “That’s none of your business,” he growled lowly. “It’s in the past where it’s staying.”

“You enjoyed being able to feel,” Dipper realized. “There were a lot of them, but emotions to you have the same effect as pain does to normal humans...it’s an adrenalin rush.”

Bill ignored that. “Fordsy blamed me because I didn’t share what I knew with the rest of them. Sixer was the only one that had any right to that knowledge, and it was up to him what he was going to do with it. I didn’t try to make amends sooner because emotion was lost on me. I stopped caring.”

“Which must have happened after you got banished back into the mindscape, where your human body couldn’t exist,” Dipper murmured, nodding thoughtfully. “I still find it pretty hard to believe that you ever cared about anything but yourself, but I guess I’ll trust your word for now.”

“You listen here Pine Tree, and you listen well,” Bill began in a low growl. “You cannot even b̶ȩg̨įn to understand what happened between Stanley and I.”

“ _Educate_ me then,” Dipper shot back, fixing a small glare on the demon despite the voice inside him that was wailing at the notion of fighting with Bill again. “ _Make_ me understand.”

“They were like _family_ to me, you stupid meatsack,” Bill hissed, standing up again. Thankfully, he kept his magic in check. “They planted me in a human body, and I began to _care_ about them, about what happens to this _stupid_ little planet, and you know what? I _loved_ it, Pine Tree. They knew what I was, but they _cherished_ my presence. They _included_ me in everything they did, always made sure I felt _welcome._ Do you think it was easy for me, letting go of that?”

The brunet bit his lip, pity and shock bubbling up inside of him. Of all the things he’d thought Bill Cipher would say, this had never been one of them. Was he really that lonely? Or was it the emotions that he’d felt manipulating him into thinking that way?

Bill’s story made no sense, and yet it struck a chord within Dipper in which suddenly _everything_ made sense, both the demon’s reactions to him and why he was the fool in this game.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he murmured softly, lowering his gaze to the floor. It probably wasn’t what Bill wanted to hear from him at that point, but it was the only thing he could think of that might make it a little better.

“I loved them all,” Bill whispered, and Dipper glanced at the demon to see that his hands were trembling. “But I loved Stanley most. Do you think it was pleasant for me, knowing that I was the reason for his potential death?”

“It can’t have been,” he tried reassuring. “I… I didn’t know any of this about you.” He paused for a few moments, then spoke again. “How about the other thing, then? Your dual personalities?”

It was a risky thing, talking to Bill when he was potentially unstable, but things had been going better than expected and he figured that he might as well learn everything in one sitting.

Bill huffed and glared, but he slowly settled himself back down. “What’s there to know?” he questioned forlornly. “I tried to tell you before.”

Dipper shook his head. “I didn’t really understand it,” he explained. “Stanley tried to explain it too, but if anything he only confused me more.”

“Figures,” the demon snorted. “Fine. When I made the deal that I did, it sealed me in this body and gave me emotions again. I didn’t want them and somehow in the mix of it all, I managed to create a different personality that _did_.”

For a moment, Dipper stared. “That makes zero sense too,” he piped up when he tried running the words through his head.

“You’re so _stupid_ ,” Bill hissed. “Let me tell you _this_ then, see if you can’t make any sense of it. There are two beings living in my head right now, me and the personality that everyone knows as Will. Like I tried telling you, there’s who I _am_ and who I _became_ when I got stuck in a body again.”

Finally, something clicked. “So...there’s the one I was friends with, and then the you that was living in my head?” Dipper questioned, his curiosity growing as things finally began to make a small amount of sense to him. “Who you are, and…”

“Who I’ve become,” Bill murmured, relaxing a little. “ _Now_ you’re getting it, Piney. Will is the part of me that carries these dumb feelings and is in control of this meatsuit most of the time. He’s the one that’s become human in my place and the one that I prefer to remain in control. Even he has his own personality shifts though, because I had to figure out how to make him act when I first got shoved into this body.”

“And who you are?”

The demon grinned ruefully. “Who I am,” he repeated. “The wonderful good ol’ me, the Bill Cipher you’ve known for most of your life. The one that feels almost nothing and always knows what he’s going to do next.”

“So...who are you now?” Dipper asked after a moment of hesitation.

“Both,” Bill replied simply. “In times of high stress or anger, my personalities will blend and clash until my original personality takes over completely.”

Dipper nodded and hesitated. It took him a few moments, but he finally voiced the words that he knew he needed to. “I’m sorry. For treating you the way I did. And refusing to listen when you and everyone else _did_ try to explain.” He looked back up to see Bill’s sharp gaze on him, cutting into him like knives.

“Is that _all_ you have to say for yourself?” Cipher asked condescendingly, an eyebrow raising. He still seemed shaken up by the constant emotion shifts and talking about everything, but he was quickly recovering.

“What more do you want from me?” Dipper asked, though he wasn’t about to yield to any demands that Bill made of him. He might consider them if they were reasonable, but that was it.

“I want _y͢͠o̢͜u_ ,” Bill growled, his eye flashing red for a moment. “You belong to _m̢͢͠e̸͞_ Dipper Pines, and the rest of the world needs to know it.”

Dipper scoffed. “That’s not gonna happen,” he responded derisively. “I don’t belong to anyone, Bill, especially not you. ”

Bill’s face flickered; anger, pain, dissent, and then he lowered his head to where Dipper couldn’t see it anymore. “I guess… I can accept that,” he said grudgingly. “But I want something else from you the-”

“I won’t make any deals with you,” the brunet spoke up automatically. “You can forget about that. I tol-” He paused for a moment, realizing that he’d been about to give away the fact that he’d worked with Strange. “I told Stanley that, and I’m saying the same to you too. I’m done making deals with demons and being their scapegoats.”

Bill glared at him defiantly. “I really hate you sometimes,” he seethed. “But it’s okay this time, because I don’t want a deal. This can be accomplished without one.”

An eyebrow hesitantly raised in curiosity. “Go on.”

“I want your companionship,” Bill said instantly through gritted teeth. “If you won’t agree to me claiming you, then at least let me have this.”

Dipper thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m sorry Bill, but no. You’re asking for things to go back to the way they were before I knew who you were, and that can’t happen. You broke my trust in you, and that changes things between us. It takes time and effort, and so far you haven’t given me any reasons to trust you again.”

“Then what _ça̵n_ I have?” Bill snarled, his eye flashing again. Fire sprang to his fingertips, ready to be used at any moment.

Dipper paused for a moment, thinking deeply. This hadn’t been much of a success, but he wasn’t trying to kill Bill and the demon wasn’t trying to kill him. Perhaps there was hope after all.

“I’ll talk to you,” he finally said with a nod. “We can be polite friends, but nothing more. I’m not going to kiss you, and you can’t kiss me. The more you try to force something onto me, the more I’m going to be distant from you. Can you accept that?”

The flames had died from his fingertips, Dipper noticed, but his eye was still red. Angry, then, but not enough to want to hurt him.

“Fine,” Bill finally spat lowly, his eye color slowly returning to its familiar blue hue. “We’ll be _friends_. Any other details you want to speak of before we seal this?”

“It’s not a deal,” Dipper reminded him neutrally. “It’s hardly even friendship, if you want me to be perfectly honest. I’m just doing this because my great uncle and grandfather are tired of seeing us fight all the time.”

“That’s not fair,” Bill blurted out quietly, crimson seeping into blue. “I don’t want to be an _acquaintance_ , I want to be your friend. I want what you have with Question Mark and Llama and Red.”

“And I’m afraid that’s not up for grabs right now,” he told the demon, shaking his head. “You’re not getting this, Bill. I trusted you, gave you my heart, and you kept who you were from me.”

“I was going to tell you!”

“When?” Dipper asked coldly. “When were you planning on telling me, Bill? The night you fooled me into sleeping with you? The day I died?”

“I _was_ ,” Cipher muttered, but didn’t say anything else.

“I’m sorry Bill,” Dipper told him emotionlessly, standing to leave. “I gave you my terms, and I’m willing to follow through with them. Like I said, if you try pushing me into anything, I’ll just back off again and we’ll be back at square one.” He’d almost made it to the doorway before Bill’s voice rang out again.

“Don’t go yet!”

He paused in his tracks. “What?”

“You haven’t given me a chance like you said you would.” Bill’s muttered sullenly.

He turned to face the demon again, not surprised to see that he’d moved from his bed to stand a few paces away from him. “I told you my terms. What more do you want from me?”

“I want you to _talk_ to me,” Bill hissed indignantly. “You spoke of chances and friendship, but you’re going back to the shack, no doubt to just hole yourself back up in your room. I’ve been patient with you, but that ends today.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Dipper stated blatantly. “You need to quit thinking that I do if you want to succeed at any of this.”

“I’ve stayed out of your head since that day you know,” Bill spat bitterly, his eye narrowing. “I’ve given you your privacy and space, I’ve given you respect. What more do you want from me?”

“Honestly?” Dipper asked with a sneer. “I’d be more than content if you just went back to the mindscape and never tried to talk to me again. But I know you have your reasons for not being able to leave your human body, and I know that something’s tying you to the shack. As it is…” Despite how much he wanted to be mad at Bill, he really couldn’t keep it up for very long. He sighed, his tense posture relaxing against what he’d planned. “When we were friends, even before I knew who you were, it was nice. I enjoyed your company, and we made a nice team. So I’m offering you something almost like that. It won’t be what we used to have. I don’t think we can ever have that again. But we can forge something new and go day by day and see how it works.”

“Something new…” Bill murmured, his eye flashing thoughtfully. He was clearly still angry, but open to the idea and that was more than good in Dipper’s book. “That...doesn’t sound too bad, Pine Tree. I might be able to accept this wager.”

“Not a deal,” Dipper reminded him firmly. “I won’t make any deals with you.” _Or anyone else,_ he added mentally. _I won’t. I refuse to play these games anymore._ “Potential friendship.”

For a second Bill looked like he wanted to murder something again, but the moment passed and the dream demon remained calm. “Not a deal,” he murmured with a dip of his head.

“I-” Dipper paused. How was he supposed to tell Bill that he might see him later or not, or that he might decide to spend some time with him the next day? “I’m going to head back to the shack now. I might be at dinner later on, if you’d like to come,” he mumbled, then quickly stepped outside before the demon could say a word.

_There,_ Dipper perused as he walked back to the shack. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon my dear readers, and welcome to Saturday =)
> 
> Sorry this chapter's late! Sharon and I had class and work (4-midnight for me!) on Thursday and yesterday, and Sharon found everything in the book wrong with this chapter, which slowed down the processes too. On the bright side, at least Bill and Dipper are talking again! ^^
> 
> So, this isn't usual for me, but I'd like to give a few shoutouts ^^ The first, of course, goes out to my lovely beta-sis Sharon! Without her, I think I'd be a mess ^^
> 
> Second goes out to a couple of fics/writers - first is Yeysal. She's written some amazing fics (In the Land of the Blind and now The Maze) that I recommend to you all in a heartbeat! Her writing is amazing and intriguing to follow, and every update she posts brings a huge smile to my face! Second fic writer is the wonderfully talented Smolskye (dis be their tumblr: http://smolskey.tumblr.com/) - they write the AMAZING fic titled Desperate Measures, and if you haven't read it.......sorry, but you're disowned from the community in my eyes ^^ Either way, they haven't been feeling very good about themself(selves??) recently, so read le fic, and pop on over to their tumblr and send them lots of love! They deserve it!
> 
> Third and final, but never the least, goes out to my bae Tiffany~ She's been kinda under the weather lately and our schedules conflict so we can't always talk a whole lot, but she's literally the best and I don't know what I'd do without her <3
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! See ya in thirteen days!


	22. Chapter 22

Dinner that night was an awkward affair, to say the least. Despite talking to Bill earlier, they still had almost no idea what to say to one another and, to make matters worse, Grunkle Stan and Stanley were caught in the middle.

For the most part, Dipper didn’t mind the silence. He really hadn’t been eating much as of late, and the food sitting in front of him was far more tantalizing than the idea of discussion.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed Grunkle Stan wasn’t going to let him get away with being silent any longer.

“Nice of you to join us for once,” he said gruffly, eyeing the brunet over his drink. “I take it you finally quit brooding?”

“Yeah,” Dipper murmured quietly, shoveling in another bite of food in the hope that they wouldn’t talk to him as much. Grunkle Stan kept staring at him though, and it became obvious that he was meant to elaborate.

He sighed and set down his fork, then gestured to Bill. “We talked and decided to start back at square one.” Bill made a _hmmph_ sort of noise, but it went ignored. “And I feel like some time away from you all so that I could think was a good choice. My mind’s a lot more clear-” _Probably because Bill isn’t actively in it anymore._ “-and I’ve gotten a lot of productive research done, which is something I was slacking on before all this happened.”

“That’s always good,” Stanley said approvingly, even though Dipper had pretty much told him the same thing earlier. “What have you been working on?”

Dipper quickly took another bite of food, then pushed his chair back and stood. “I’m gonna go get the fourth journal,” he said once he swallowed, then retreated before they could say anything.

 _This is going to go one of two ways,_ he thought as he walked up to his room. _Either it’s going to end well, or it’ll blow up in my face._

Was Bill still reading his mind every once in a while? He hadn’t said anything to anyone about Tad, but that hadn’t stopped thoughts of the raven-haired ignoramus from popping up.

 _They can’t know,_ he thought firmly as he picked up the journal from his nightstand and went back downstairs. _Especially Bill._ The disappointment he’d get from the Stans would be _nothing_ compared to the anger he’d be dealt by Bill. He was sure of it.

He could still remember the confrontation he’d seen between the two demons, and Bill had looked ready to murder Tad for even daring to get anywhere near him. If he knew that Dipper had worked by his side…

Well. Quite frankly, he didn’t even want to begin imagining the scenarios.

“Here you go.” He stepped back into the dining room and held the book out to Stanley. “There’s not too much because I’m still organizing a lot of the materials, but…”

“That’s fine,” his grandfather cut in, flashing him a quick smile before opening the journal, flipping through some of the earlier pages he’d already seen. Dipper sat back down and returned his his dinner, content in the fact that he’d found something to occupy at least one of his family members’ attention for a little while.

Occasionally Stanley murmured something under his breath, half the time sounding confused, and the rest sounding satisfied with what he found.

Then his eyes widened and his breath stopped.

“L-Lovely Longings?” he finally managed to choke out, blood slowly seeping into his cheeks and turning them red. “Y- Where did you find them? How?”

“I just stumbled across them,” Dipper lied easily, flicking his hand in dismissal then taking another bite of food. He risked a glance towards Bill to find that the demon was staring at him intently, his expression unreadable.

 _Shit_.

“You know, just walking around and then bam! I walked right into a patch of them and then…..well, I’m pretty sure I remembered to write down their effects.” He continued on, looking back down. “I can’t remember where they are though, so I probably won’t be able to go back and get more notes over them.”

“What I’m interested to know,” Bill started softly, leaning forward and resting his chin on a propped up hand, “is how you knew what to call them.”

 _Double shit._ “Mabel gave me the idea,” he blurted out. “When I told her about them. It was the night you last talked to me, Grunkle Stan. I described the flowers and their effects to her, and she came up with the name.” _Please let this work…_

“Oh,” Bill murmured, straightening with a nod. “That makes sense, it’s just...that’s the actual name of them. They’ve been around for hundreds of years, so I’m just surprised that she was able to come up with it.”

“I think she heard about them from some book or something,” Dipper mumbled. “I wasn’t really interested in that kind of stuff when we were kids, but she probably came across the name at some point.”

 _Time to pick a different subject,_ he thought as he finished off the last of his dinner and got up again. “I ran across some pretty cool creatures over the last few days too though,” he said as he went into the kitchen to get some more food.

“A chimera?!” he heard Stanley gasp, and he grinned. As close to death as Tad had brought him, he’d also given him plenty of boasting material.

“Yup!” he called back over his shoulder as he prepared his plate of food. “That was a couple of weeks ago, that one day I got home really early.”

“Such a dumbass,” Grunkle Stan muttered loudly enough for him to hear. “He could have gotten himself killed.”

“You know, I’d like to think that I deserve just a little more faith than that,” Dipper remarked as he rejoined his family in the dining room. “I’m not dumb enough to go getting myself killed. I mean, sure the chimera was dangerous, but I knew what I was getting myself into.”

 _Or, Tad did anyway,_ he mused as he thought about how the raven-haired demon had teleported them away to safety at the last second.

“Your guardian fleshsuits have a point,” Bill stated lowly, his eyes narrowing. “You shouldn’t have done that, Pine Tree.”

“I wanted to,” Dipper countered very slowly, thinking that it would make the words sink in. He fell silent and returned to his second helping of dinner, his mood souring.

Maybe he should have expected that it would take _time_ to get positive results after talking to Bill, but he’d vocalized again and again that _no,_ Bill _didn’t_ own him, and that he could as he damn well pleased. Why was that taking so long to sink into the demon’s skull?

Stanley cleared his throat. “Regardless,” he said and gave both teens a pointed look. “I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished Dipper. Keep up the good work.”

“Will do,” the brunet murmured, nodding once.

He continued his dinner while the others returned to idly chatting, blocking out the noise and focusing on the food before him. When he was finished, he murmured a quick “good night” to his family and Bill, took his dishes into the kitchen to be washed later, then retreated to his room.

That was the first night he slept in a month.

* * *

 

“Good morning,” Bill greeted him carefully the moment he stepped into the gift shop a couple of days later. “Stanford wanted me to run tours today. Is that alright with you?”

 _Gotta give him some credit,_ Dipper thought as he took a sip of coffee. _If this is his attempt at sucking up to me in the hopes of me getting close to him again, then he’s not doing such a bad job._

“That’ll be fine,” he replied nonchalantly, walking over to the register and setting down his mug. “Stocking has to get done this morning too, right?”

Bill nodded, and that was the end of that.

They didn’t speak for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

“Hey Bill, do you know where the order forms are?” Dipper asked the elder teen absentmindedly as he rung up a customer. “I’ve looked all over, and Grunkle Stan and Stanley are out running errands.”

Bill hung up his coat on the rack beside the door, then joined the brunet at the register. “Did you check the office?” he questioned, reaching under the counter for a pop he’d been sipping on between tours. “I think Fordsy mentioned something about some paperwork being in there.”

“$13.95 is gonna be your total,” Dipper told the customer. “I don’t think those were the order forms though,” he murmured to the demon, watching carefully as the lady on the other side of the counter ran her card through the machine and completed the processes.

Bill shrugged, taking a large swig of his soda. “Beats me then,” he said nonchalantly, then disappeared into the house. “Good luck finding the papers,” he called over his shoulder.

Dipper sighed.

* * *

 

“I just don’t see why you needed me to come with you to check the stupid mail,” Dipper murmured as he and Bill exited the post office. He pulled his hood up and tucked his hands into his pockets to keep them warm. “You’re a demon, it’s not like anything’s gonna try attacking you.”

“I have my reasons for forcing you to come with me,” Bill muttered, copying Dipper and shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

“Aside from the fact that Grunkle Stan suggested that we do this to bond?” the brunet asked skeptically, rolling his eyes.

“The woods are dangerous at night,” the blond finally mumbled, lowering his gaze to the ground in front of them.

Dipper snorted. “It’s not night.”

“The sun is going down quickly,” Bill hissed, raising his head to glare at him. “By the time we’re home, it will be.”

“Whatever,” the brunet scoffed, resolutely looking away from the dream demon.

The rest of the walk home was silent. As it got darker outside, Dipper noticed that the woods seemed to get eerily quiet and that made him uncomfortable. When he glanced at Bill, he noticed that the blond seemed uneasy too. Was this why the demon had wanted him to come along?

 _Safety in numbers, I guess,_ his mind rationalized for him as they approached the Mystery Shack.

They took the mail inside together, then walked back out to the porch; for a moment, Dipper had to remind himself that he wasn’t going with Bill to hang out.

“It’s getting colder outside,” Bill murmured, his tone turning melancholic. There was a pause in which Dipper tried to figure out how the heck he was even supposed to respond, and then the demon spoke again.

“Have a good night Pine Tree,” he said and started off toward his small home at the edge of the woods.

“Night,” he finally managed to whisper, long after the demon had disappeared.

* * *

 

Finally, after about a week, Bill snapped.

“This is stupid, Dipper,” he complained the moment they both stepped into the kitchen for their lunch break.

Dipper paused on his way to the fridge, pivoting around to face the demon. “I think a lot of things are stupid,” he said slowly. “Wanna elaborate on what it is you’re talking about?”

“You said that you’d give me a chance,” Bill snarled, fury flaring up in his eye. “But you’re not!”

“I’m talking to you,” he countered neutrally. “That’s what I promised.”

“Barely,” the demon snapped. “We’ve hardly spoken to each other since, and I’m getting tired of it!”

“What do you suggest we do then, huh?” Dipper challenged, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one side. “Have you considered that maybe we just don’t have much to talk about anymore?”

“That’s not true,” Bill said immediately, his tone lowering and becoming calmer. “You’re making that up, Dipper. I know you are.”

Dipper took a deep breath, straightening his posture with a nod. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,” he conceded. He thought about what to say next, then eventually sighed.

“I think I get what you’re trying to say,” he murmured, letting his eyes slide closed. “This is…..it’s harder than you think, Bill. I’ve spent the last several weeks avoiding you at all costs, and I hardly know how to even talk to you anymore. Perhaps that’s my fault, because I didn’t make an attempt to reconcile with you until recently.”

Bill stayed silent, though his expression softened into something less angry. He regarded Dipper with a thoughtful, cool expression.

“I’m trying to be your friend again, but...knowing who you are now...I hardly know how to do that,” Dipper admitted. “Everything’s changed, and I’m still stuck in the moment from weeks past.”

“Why does anything _have_ to change?”

For a few minutes, Dipper considered what Bill was saying.

Was it really like that?

“Really, this is all in your head,” the demon huffed, mimicking the pose Dipper had struck earlier. “Besides gaining new knowledge, there isn’t anything about our friendship that’s become different.”

“You lied to me,” Dipper pointed out automatically, because that was the one defense he was always going to go back to. “That changes things.”

“ _Aside_ from that.” Bill waved his words away impatiently, his face shifting to mirror the tone. “I’m still the same, and so are you.”

Dipper held his tongue, despite wanting to argue that Bill’s was invalid, that they _had_ changed since that day.

“I think we need to get out of the shack for a little while,” the demon decided. “Come on Piney, we’re gonna go exploring and you’re gonna show me what you’ve been working on.” He lunged forward and took Dipper’s hand, drowning out the brunet’s protests and starting off toward the back door.

“You’ve already see-”

“Nope,” Bill cut him off. “I don’t read books Pine Tree, they’re beneath me.”

“We need to _work_ ,” Dipper emphasized, though he knew that he was fighting a losing battle.

“Sixer and Fordsy can stand to get off their asses for once.”

Dipper yanked his hand out of Bill’s grasp, and the demon stopped in response.

“Friends do bonding things,” he said automatically, his eyes narrowing. “And we’re supposed to be friends.”

“That wasn’t a no,” Dipper stated evenly, raising an eyebrow condescendingly. “I need my space Bill, and friends - if you’re going to go as far as calling us that - don’t just yank on each other’s arms and drag each other around all over the place.”

“You won’t come with me otherwise,” Bill argued. “So how _else_ am I supposed to bond with you?”

“I never said that I wouldn’t go.” Dipper rolled his eyes. “Just give me a minute and at least let me grab my coat.”

The demon huffed, but made no other protests against it.  Dipper ran to his room and grabbed a light jacket from his desk and his backpack, then hurried back down before Bill could complain that he was taking too long.

“Let’s go,” he murmured as he shrugged it on, striding ahead and outside. It was warm enough outdoors for Dipper to hardly need the jacket, but he kept it on anyway.

The woods had begun their transition into Fall, leaves of green turning into bright reds and oranges and yellows. The grasses hadn’t yet begun dying, but Dipper knew that it was only a matter of time before they would.

“You know, there’s a legend behind this one too,” Bill murmured from beside him. Dipper glanced over at the demon to see that he was looking at the trees with an expression akin to sadness on his face. “If you’d like to hear it.”

Dipper didn’t say anything, though his curiosity was piqued. He’d heard snippets of myths as to why the leaves turned colors in the fall, but Bill offering to tell him the full story made him wonder...

They walked in silence for a little while, the only sounds coming from the creatures of the woods. Dipper was inexplicably tense, but he found himself relaxing the longer they went.

He had no reason to be afraid. Even if Bill _was_ an insane dream demon turned human, Grunkle Stan and Stanley had to know where they’d gone, and it wouldn’t take them long to figure it out if they didn’t.

“How do you know all these urban myths anyway?” he found himself voicing. “I mean, I know a few, but…” He paused for a heartbeat, trying to figure out what to say. “You seem to know so many, and it seems like you have them all completely memorized.”

It was Bill’s turn to be silent, but he broke the pattern by speaking a few minutes later. “Dipper, do you know how old I actually am?” he asked quietly, not looking at the brunet.

“You’ve seen a lot,” Dipper summed up with a nod. “And I get that, but-“

“Kid, I’m so old that you humans can’t come up with a number for it,” the demon interrupted, turning to face him with a glare. “I’ve more than _seen_ a lot; I’ve _lived_ it.”

 _Oh._ That was…

How old was that?

Dipper coughed, blinking in surprise. “So you were there when the legends were created?”

Bill sighed, rolling his eye. “What do you think?”

“That it’s kind of shocking to hear you actually say how much older you are than I am. I mean, I knew that you were an immortal demon, but…”

“It doesn’t bother you, does it?” The blond fixed him with an intense gaze, emotions flickering in his eye a mile a minute.

“I don’t- know, exactly,” Dipper admitted, thinking about it. “I mean, I’ve kissed you before and it never really felt weird to me then, but that was probably because I didn’t know who you were either.”

Bill nodded, his posture relaxing as his shoulders fell. “I can accept that,” he murmured. “Nothing more than what I deserve. So, the legend behind what you humans call ‘Fall’. You want to hear it or not?”

“Sure thing,” Dipper agreed, wondering how much about Bill the story could unintentionally reveal.

“Once, there was a magical bear by the name of Nyah-gwaheh, and once there were four brothers,” Bill began and they continued their journey through the forest. “The bear appeared before an Indian tribe and frightened the people. The four hunters were the best in the land, and when they heard about the village that the bear was around, they set off to hunt it with their little dog. They hurried in their pursuit of hunting Nyah-gwaheh because they knew that if they didn’t, the Great Bear would make its way behind, and they would become the hunted.”

As Bill continued the story, Dipper began to take notice of where they were. Even though it had been weeks since he’d been there, he could still remember the trail Strange had led him on when he’d shown Dipper the Lovely Longings. Was this a conscious choice that he’d somehow made, or just coincidence?

Nonetheless, he said nothing and kept going.

“The hunters’ dog caught onto the tracks of the Great Bear though, and the brothers knew that they would remain the hunters. They called out to the bear in victory, and the bear became afraid and began to run. The hunters chased after it, going from the low ground high into the mountains as the day wore on. The fattest and laziest brother, of whom had been complaining of hunger and weariness, pretended to fall and sprain his ankle, insisting that his brothers carry him. Night fell and though it was dark, they could still see the Great Bear, for it was white.”

Bill paused then to breathe, and Dipper took a water bottle from his bag and wordlessly handed it to him. He took a few gulps of the drink, then closed it and gave it back.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Dipper shrugged. “Figured you could use it,” he replied, and that was that.

“When they got to the top of the mountain, the three brothers that were walking on their own and carrying their brother were beginning to tire. The fourth brother had become fully rested though, and he claimed that his leg was better and dashed ahead of his brothers and stabbed the bear in the heart with his spear. Nyah-Gwaheh died. The brothers feasted on the bear, and when they were contented, the first brother finally bothered to notice that they were in the night sky, and the stars were all around them. After the brothers realized where they were, the bones of the Great Bear rose to life once more and began to run. The brothers and their dog followed.”

“To sum it all up, each year the hunters chase the bear across the skies, and when they kill it, its blood comes down from the heavens and colors the leaves of the trees,” Bill finished.

“Did all of that really happen?” Dipper asked curiously, a small part of his mind still marveling at the fact that Bill was old enough to have the legend completely memorized.

“Does it matter if it did?” the blond retaliated, raising an eyebrow. “Even if it had really happened, you humans have a logical and scientific reason for everything. It doesn’t matter anymore. As mankind grows older, you humans stray from your origins and go into realms of meaningless.”

“Good point,” he murmured, looking up at the trees around them. “So this is all the bear’s blood?”

“In legend,” Bill answered, looking around at their surroundings. A moment later, he laughed.

“Would you look at that!” He exclaimed with a grin. “Dipper, do you know where we are?”

 _I’d be worried if I didn’t,_ he thought wryly. “No?” he responded, feigning confusion. He looked around, memories of Tad flashing through his mind. “Where are we?”

“Follow me,” Bill said excitedly, and surged ahead. He ducked behind an oh-so-familiar curtain of leaves just a few feet later, and Dipper had no choice but to follow.

“I figure they grow in other spots on occasion,” Bill said the moment Dipper stepped through, his tone soft and wistful. “But this is the origin of the Longing.” He turned around, and Dipper saw that he was holding one of the aphro-flowers in his hands, gazing down upon it with an expression of love.

“Bill, don’t touch them!” Dipper exclaimed, dashing forward to knock it out of his hands. The demon held the flower up and out of his reach at the last second, frowning down at Dipper when he crashed into the elder teen’s chest.

“What are you doing Pine Tree?” he asked lowly. “Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to touch them?”

“But- I- you-!”

“My pupil is black, Pine Tree,” Bill stated, as if that was supposed to mean something to Dipper. When it became obvious to the blond that he hadn’t understood, he bristled.

“I’m immune to their effects, you dumbass!” he snapped. “All demons are, do you read _nothing?_ It’s in the journals!”

Dipper backed away from him, careful not to brush up against any of the clusters of Longings that surrounded them. “All demons are?” he questioned slowly, his mind going to Tad.

“I just said that,” Bill grumbled, cradling the Longing he’d picked to his chest protectively. “Either way, yeah. This is where the Longings originated. Stanley and I used to play games with these things, back before everything went to shit.”

Dipper looked away from the demon then, halfway in respect and halfway out of sudden understanding.

 _Bill really did love him,_ he thought. _But then…what does that make me in the grand scheme of things? Am I supposed to just be some kind of a replacement for him?_

 _Why do you even care?_ His mental voice nagged back. _You guys are hardly even friends, how he felt about Stanley_ doesn’t matter.

“Thanks for showing me this location of them,” Dipper mumbled, feeling awkward. “I’ll make sure to mark it down in the journal later.”

Bill nodded, stooping and setting the Longing down on the ground. Something flickered in his expression then, but it was gone before Dipper could catch it. “We should get going,” he murmured as he straightened. “I don’t recall the Longings being able to spread their stuff by air, but they might have evolved in the thirty-six years it’s been since I’ve been near them.”

The left the area of the Lovely Longings, and Dipper found that he was able to breathe normally again. From there, they walked throughout the forest, casually chatting about some of the other things Dipper had researched. Bill occasionally asked a few questions, and he answered with ease.

Until everything seemed to go wrong again, that is.

“You know,” Bill commented nonchalantly as they walked. “I could have sworn that this area is around one of the summoning sites. The miasma isn’t here though…”

 _Shit._ Dipper looked around and noticed that they were indeed in the half-mile range of the summoning site that Tad had taken out.

“I thought so too,” he said slowly. “But I get really directionally challenged this deep into the woods, so maybe we’re wrong?”

Bill shook his head, his eye darkening. “These woods are mine, Pine Tree. I know them like the back of my own hand, and I know exactly where we are. There _was_ a summoning site here. For whatever reason though, the miasma’s gone.”

“That reminds me,” Dipper muttered. “Back then, were you even telling the truth about your supposed parents and you really owning the woods?”

“Course not. These woods _are_ mine though, make no mistake about that.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Dipper said dryly, then perked up. “Hang on, I _do_ know where we are! This is one of the areas I investigated on my own.”

“Doesn’t explain why it seems okay,” Bill pointed out. “We shouldn’t be fine right now, but we are. It’s just…gone. And that’s weird, because I know that I didn’t mess with it, and you’re _way_ too weak to do it on your own.”

Dipper was mildly offended by that statement, but he knew that it was the truth. Tad had been the one to take out the miasma, not him. How was he going to keep Bill from finding that out though?

“Maybe it just faded?” he suggested. “Perhaps these things have a time limit and the time for this one is up?”

“Perhaps,” Bill said slowly. “It doesn’t make too much sense, but it makes more than just about anything else I could think of.”

Dipper released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. “Right,” he murmured, striding ahead and into the clearing. It was just as he’d left it, pile of ashes in the same spot and animal bones carefully picked out and placed off to the side.

“That reminds me of some other stuff I was able to find out,” he voiced, feeling bold. He spun around to face Bill, who had followed him in, and continued. “The thing they’re summoning. I was able to get a name. Seraphine.”

It was a risky move, deciding to reveal everything else he’d come to learn, especially the things Tad had told him. Bill hadn’t caught on yet though, so what was a little more spilt information?

Bill was silent for several moments. “That’s impossible,” he finally said darkly. Then, there was a long pause. “It should be anyway. I thought she was under lifebond contract with Gleeful.”

 _Gleeful?!_ “Gideon?” Dipper questioned, his mind racing back to the hotel. Tad had said kid, hadn’t he? What had he meant? Was Gideon possibly on his side then? Was Seraphine?

_He’ll be the key to your success, but know this – if you’re not careful, he’ll also be your downfall._

Bill nodded. “Yes. Did you never question how a dumbass like him managed to be such a thorn in your side when you were younger? Seraphine’s symbol is the one he’s worn from the time he began performing and utilizing magic.”

“She’s the star…” Dipper breathed, excitement filling him. “What else do you know about her?” he asked quickly. “The only thing I know is her name, and now who she might be working with.”

Bill sighed and rolled his eye. “Listen up, because this is the only time I’m ever going to tell you this,” he warned before continuing. “There are three of us. Main demons, anyway.”

 _Three?_ Dipper thought, shock and anger filling him. _Are you_ kidding _me?! Why couldn’t Tad just say that?_ “Main?” he asked. “Does that mean there are more?”

“You’re so stupid,” Bill grumbled under his breath. “Yes. There are millions of demons, but there are only a very limited amount of greater demons. There used to be more, but they’ve either been killed for power or caused their own demise. Now, there’s just me, Seraphine, and Tad.”

“Got it,” Dipper murmured, filing the information away mentally. He gestured for the blond to continue.

“Each greater demon has a power that’s unique to them,” Bill went on. “Mine, of course, lies within the mind. My power’s color is blue. Seraphine manipulates the emotions within humans, and her color is multiple.” He grimaced. “She decided that she had to be _special_. And Tad…” he paused, his tone lowering into something dangerous. “Tad’s color is purple. He’s _weak_. Powerful for his age, but his specialty is nothing to be impressed by. He mimics the powers of other demons, but that can only hold for so long before it falters too. The only thing that can really fuck a person over is if they make a deal with him.”

Dipper nodded again, relief filling him. _I don’t have to worry about Tad, then. I never made a deal with him._ “What about Seraphine then?” he questioned cautiously. “She seems really powerful, to be able to create the miasma and make it deadly enough to almost kill you.”

The elder teen frowned, his eye briefly sliding shut. “Seraphine…I won’t lie to you, Dipper. It worries me, that she’s the one behind this. Even more so if Gleeful’s by her side, because that means that she has a willing vessel.”

Any happiness Dipper had been given by the knowledge he’d gotten of Tad promptly drained away. _Tad wasn’t lying about that, then. Seraphine’s strong enough to kick our asses with her eyes shut._ He thought for a moment. _Or would it be eye?_

“Come on,” Bill murmured quietly, brushing past Dipper to leave. “We should get back to the shack.”

Dipper followed, keeping a close eye on the demon. The walk home was completely silent between the two of them, save for the sound of their footsteps, and that worried him.

 _It’s probably just Seraphine,_ his mind tried rationalizing. _I mean, he_ just _said it. She’s something to worry about._ Nonetheless, he felt obligated to at least ask.

“Is everything okay?”

“Hmm?” Bill shook his head slightly. “Sorry Pine Tree,” he said, sounding distant and distracted. “I was just thinking…you found all this out on your own. I’m impressed, you might not be such a hopeless cause after all.”

“Oh,” Dipper replied quietly, looking away from the demon in guilt. “Right. Yeah, it was hard, but I managed it.”

When they got to the shack, Bill headed straight to his room without saying goodbye to Dipper. The brunet barely managed to step foot into the gift shop before he heard the slam of a door, then an outraged scream moments later.

He almost turned back to go find out what was wrong – _Was it something_ I _did? –_ but something stopped him.

 _Better not to question it,_ his mind advised.

 _Still…_ he thought as he went up to his own room. _I can’t help but worry._

* * *

 

“Pine Tree! Wake the fuck up, or else I’m pushing you over myself!”

Bill’s voice was what woke him up sometime in the middle of the night, and bright blue was the first thing he saw when he blearily opened his eyes. He barely managed to stifle a yell of surprise, managing a loud gasp instead.

Bill straightened. “It’s about time,” he murmured, sounding satisfied.

“What do you _want_?” Dipper breathed out in a loud exhale, relaxing his tensed muscles.

“Scoot over.”

“What?” he hissed, his cheeks darkening. “No! Why?”

The demon’s eye flashed in what he supposed was irritation. “My room is fucking freezing,” he hissed. “So scoot the fuck over and share your sleeping space with me.”

“Go sleep on the couch then,” Dipper grumbled, rolling onto his side to face away from the blond. He closed his eyes, intent on going back to sleep. “I’m not sharing my bed with you.”

“Piiiiinnnne Treeeeeee,” Bill wailed in a high pitch.

His eyes shot back open, and he turned to look at the demon. Bill was staring right back at him as he continued wailing in a high keen, his expression the epitome of innocence.

“Fine!” Dipper finally snapped, scooting to the side until he was pressed against the wall. “Just shut the fuck up before you wake up the others.”

Instantly, Bill stopped and shot him a sly smirk. “Thank you,” he murmured smugly, climbing onto the bed and settling in. When he stopped moving, Dipper relaxed and committed himself to sleep.

“Night Bill,” he mumbled, closing his eyes.

“Good night Dipper.”          

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Sunday, my dear readers =)
> 
> Sorry this is so late, this chapter was actually kind of impromptu! There's a time skip between the end of this and the next chapter, and without this chapter, it would have skipped about a month with little to no context. Now, I feel a bit better about the timeskip =)


	23. Chapter 23

“Pine Tree, what’s trick or treating?”

Dipper had just finished up a mystery tour and was getting ready to nab a cup of coffee from the kitchen when Bill sprang the question on him out of nowhere. The brunet paused in hanging up his coat and stared at the demon for a few minutes, astonished.

“Y-you don’t know?”

“Obviously.” Bill had the sense to look annoyed, a golden eyebrow arched and a contemptuous expression on his face. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked.”

“I thought you knew everything though.”

The demon sighed, and Dipper finished hanging up his coat. “I know _lots_ of things, Piney. That does not mean I know _everything_.”

“You didn’t think that you’d need to know about human holidays to fit in better?” the brunet questioned, amused. “They’re a pretty important part of our culture, you know.”

“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead,” Bill mumbled, shuffling his feet in an almost awkward fashion. “Your guardian meatsacks told me to focus on how best to blend in immediately, meaning that I had to learn the functions of the body and how to control my magic and act normal.”

“Do you know anything about Halloween?” Dipper questioned, ruefully deciding that the hot coffee would have to wait.

“I know that you modern mortals have skewed it to fit your pop culture standards.” Bill scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. “It used to be a night to celebrate the end of the harvest, the end of the Celtic year.”

“Hmm…” Dipper hummed, thinking. Now that the subject was actually out in the open, he realized that even _he_ didn’t know a whole lot about the actual holiday, just what happened on it. “What else do you know about it?”

Bill flashed him a brilliant grin, which he couldn’t help but return. “It was also a night to honor the dead, one in which souls would rise up from the pits of the earth to roam around the world. You meatsacks were rightfully terrified of them, so you left out offerings of sweets in the hopes that instead of attacking you, the spirits would bless your crops.” He snorted. “A load of malarkey, if you ask me. The _spirits_ had nothing to do with whether or not your food lived or died, that was all in the hands of Hapi.”

“Hapi?” Dipper questioned, intrigued at the information. “What’s that?”

“Not _what,_ ” Bill said immediately in an impatient tone. “ _Who,_ Pine Tree. Hapi is the Egyptian god of the Nile, the lord of the great floods. Without his kindness bestowed upon you foolish mortals, there would be no crops.”

“Sorry,” the brunet mocked apologetically, holding his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t know. Not all of us can be all-knowing.”

Bill rolled his eye in response. “You know, you need to come up with a new thing to respond with; you literally say that every week.” Dipper stuck his tongue out childishly at him, and he returned the gesture.

“If we’re done here, I’m going to go get something to drink,” Dipper told him, running a hand through his hair. “I feel like a popsicle.”

October had crept into existence, some days warm enough to trick one into thinking that it was still early August, and others chilly enough to startle people into sweaters and blankets.

Today had been one of the colder days, the chilly wind biting through Dipper’s normally warm winter coat all afternoon as he’d led tours. The warm house was a delightful reprieve from the nippy air outside, and a cup of coffee and perhaps a cookie sounded more than perfect to him right about then.

To his surprise, Bill abandoned his spot at the register in the gift shop and followed him into the house. “I wasn’t finished with you yet,” the demon complained. “Tell me more about your mortal version about All Hollow’s Eve- now.”

“What even brought the subject up?” Dipper asked as he went into the kitchen. “I mean, I know it’s in a week, but the calendar in the gift shop’s been there all month.”

“I heard some little girl talking about it to her guardian fleshsuit,” Bill responded nonchalantly, passing the brunet and heading straight for the cabinets. The demon pulled out two mugs and held one of them out for Dipper to take.

He accepted it and got started on preparing the coffee, grateful that Bill had reminded him to get some the last time they’d gone shopping.

“You know you’re supposed to be working, right?” Dipper asked him as he grabbed a cocoa packet from the box next to the coffee container. It was something like tradition now, for Bill to have a cup of cocoa when Dipper had his daily intake of caffeine. The demon insisted on hot chocolate, stating that coffee was bad for the body.

Not so secretly, Dipper disagreed.

Bill’s eye flashed momentarily. “There’s nobody in the gift shop,” he said smugly. “We’ve fallen into the slow hour, and that means that you can tell me about Halloween.”

“Fine,” Dipper acquiesced with a small sigh and a smile. “Nowadays, people like to go trick or treating. I guess it’s something like what you were talking about? Either way, it’s something fun for kids I guess. Mabel and I used to do it all the time.”

“Well, _duh._ How did it start though?” Bill pressed, crossing his arms over his chest again.

“Fuck if I know.” Dipper shrugged.

The demon sighed. “Figures. I can’t fault you for being useless, though. Not your fault humans accept situations without reason.”

He decided to ignore and continue on. “Anyway, like I said, kids go trick or treating and they tend to wear costumes while they do it. Normally, the cuter or more creative it is, the more candy they get.”

“What else do you meatsacks do?”

Dipper thought for a moment. “We carve pumpkins,” he said at last. “With little funny or scary faces. Nowadays it’s become this serious competition for those who want to compete. And people do haunted houses.”

Bill perked up immediately at the last statement. “For real?”

“Well, the attractions are fake,” Dipper said hastily. “But yeah. The people that run them normally do a good enough job for the customers to be really freaked out by the end of them.”

“Pine Tree, I wanna do one,” Bill breathed, an almost hungry gleam in his eye. Dipper knew the look too well and he quickly shook his head.

“Not and even, Cipher. Haunted houses are stupid. If you want, you can dress up like a princess or something and I’ll take you trick or treating.”

“You insult me,” Bill snarked. The coffee had finished by then and he prepared Dipper’s cup with a flourish, just the way the blond knew he liked it. “I’ll ask Stanford, kid. You know he won’t able to say no.”

Damn it. Bill had him there; Grunkle Stan probably _would_ think it was a good idea, if it was going to rake in any money.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally murmured as he got to work on Bill’s cup of cocoa. The demon liked to have it with milk (which got expensive pretty quickly) and two jumbo marshmallows, topped off with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream - the kind that came in a can, because Bill demanded it.

Despite the demon’s love of spicy things that caused most people pain to eat, he had an insanely large sweet tooth. Dipper had asked him about it once, only to be given a glare that promised the brunet instant death if he ever tried to get between Bill and whatever sugary thing he was eating at the time.

“So what do you say Pine Tree?” Bill asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I think it’ll work.”

“What will?” Dipper asked, ducking his head to conceal the embarrassed flush that had risen to his cheeks.

“The _haunted house_ ,” Bill huffed, glaring. “Seriously Dipper, you need to pay more attention to me when I’m speaking to you.”

Dipper’s eye twitched in annoyance. “Bill,” he started, keeping his tone as calm as possible, “for the last time, you can’t order me around. You might think you have some kind of a demon claim on me, and for all I know you do, but I am a person.”

“You should have been paying attention anyway,” the demon argued, ignoring Dipper’s scolding for the most part. “I have serious things to say and if we’re eventually going to run the shack together, you’ll need to listen to what I have to input too.”

Dipper paused at that. Bill...had a point, he realized. The friendship that they had managed to forge so far was still really rocky and he questioned on a weekly basis if he even /wanted/ to be around Bill for the rest of his life, but the demon had a valid point. If he was going to be sticking around, his opinion would matter just as much as Dipper's own.

“You’re right.” He finished up Bill’s cup of hot chocolate and held it out to him, accepting his coffee in turn. “I didn’t think of it like that. So what were you saying?”

Bill gave him a small smile, and he knew he’d been forgiven. “I think the haunted house would be a good idea, but what if we did a haunted trail through the woods instead?”

“I don’t know about that,” the brunet disagreed, thinking. “The woods are dangerous at night and it would be harder to set up props outside than it would be if we just did it here in the shack.”

“We don’t _need_ props,” Bill pointed out, holding up a hand. Blue flames sparked to his fingertips instantly, and he continued. “Reality is an illusion  Pine Tree, and I can bend it to my will. With nearly no limits on what I could conjure up, we’d instantly be the best haunted trail Oregon’s ever seen!”

“We’ll still have to talk to Grunkle Stan about it,” Dipper warned him lightly. “Future owners of the Shack or no, the final decision this year’s still up to him.”

Bill gave him a satisfied nod and raised his mug of cocoa to his lips. He chugged it in a few gulps, apparently not caring how hot it was either. “Now that we’re done with that,” he rasped as he set the mug back down on the counter. “We can go shopping for some of those jack o’ lanterns I’ve heard so much about.”

* * *

 

“I want this one, Pine Tree.”

Dipper stared at the pumpkin Bill had chosen from the bunch in disbelief. The demon was able to hold it, but Dipper could clearly see that he was struggling.

“That thing’s bigger than you are,” he pointed out with a snort. “Bill, that thing’s gotta weigh about twenty pounds. You are _not_ getting it.”

“It’s exactly 17.6 pounds actually,” Bill told him, looking pleased with himself. “Please, Piney? You have to let me, otherwise all my hopes and dreams are ruined!”

Dipper raised an eyebrow skeptically at the blond’s antics. “It’s bigger than you are,” he reiterated after a moment of consideration. “Pick a different one.”

“I’ll start crying,” Bill threatened quietly, a mischievous glint in his eye. “And then people will stare. And then when I tell them how horrible you’re being to me, they’ll all hate you.”

Dipper narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but nodded a second later. “Fine. You can have your stupid pumpkin.”

“Wonderful,” Bill murmured flippantly, offering him a bright grin. He slowly waddled over to the shopping cart and set the pumpkin in it with the gentleness one would use with a newborn baby, then straightened. “We need more, Pine Tree. I _want_ more.”

“Too bad,” the brunet replied, abandoning the cart momentarily to go over to the pumpkins himself. “I’m going to pick one out, and then we’ll be done. There’s no sense in buying pumpkins that we have no use for.” Bill huffed at that, and Dipper tried his best to ignore it.

“I want _more_ ,” the demon whined. Dipper glanced back at him momentarily to see that his hands were clenched into fists. “Is money the issue here, Piney? I have gold. I don’t care how much they cost, I _want_ them.”

 _He has gold then,_ Dipper mused, a hint of curiosity creeping into his mental voice. _What would happen if I asked him about it, outside of him offering to pay for something?_

He shook his head then, and focused his attention back onto the pumpkins. It was bad enough that Bill had managed to reinsert himself into almost every aspect of Dipper’s life, he didn’t need the demon to be constantly on his mind again.

After a few minutes of carefully looking over the selection of pumpkins to choose from, he finally picked up a moderately sized one that, unlike Bill’s, was more than easy to take over to the shopping cart.

“We can go now,” he said casually, halfway to see how the demon would react.

Bill surprised him by not saying anything, only for it to fade into resignation when the blond walked back over to the pumpkin container and immediately scooped one up and into his arms.

“I want more,” he declared, cradling it against his chest protectively. “Normal humans conduct this ritual Pine Tree, and I need to fit in.”

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he acquiesced, tossing his hands up in frustration. In times like this, it was hard to believe that he was dealing with a demi-god, and not simply a child. “Pick as many fucking pumpkins as you want, Cipher. You’re paying.”

Bill beamed at him, his eye lighting up. “I knew you’d make the right choice,” he hummed in approval.

“Whatever,” Dipper grumbled, rolling his eyes again. “Just hurry up so we can leave.”

Bill proceeded to nab another twelve pumpkins, successfully filling the cart to the brim and making it heavy enough for Dipper to have to struggle to get it to move. The shopping cart lightened immensely at a few muttered words from the demon though, and there were no other complications until it came time to pay for the pumpkins and Bill pulled out a solid gold bar from his pocket.

“It’s not real,” Dipper assured the stuttering cashier hastily, pulling out his debit card and swiping it. “He just likes to pull pranks on people.”

“You told me to pay for it,” Bill pointed out smugly, stashing the gold back in his pocket. “So this is your fault, Pine Tree.”

“That wasn’t what I meant and you know it,” Dipper hissed tersely in response.

Despite the few tense moments they’d faced in the store, the car ride home was peaceful and filled with excited chatter from Bill about how much fun it was going to be to participate in a silly mortal tradition. Dipper nodded and made small noises of agreement for the most part, making sure to keep the majority of his focus on the road in front of him.

“Since you decided that we need so many pumpkins, _you_ can carry them inside,” Dipper stated as he pulled into his parking spot at the Shack. “I’ll grab two of them, but you’re responsible for the rest.”

“There won’t be a need for you to carry any of them,” Bill hummed cheerfully as he scrambled out of the car, almost tripping in his obvious excitement. “Or me, for that matter. I have magic, _remember_?” He giggled euphorically and snapped his fingers. The trunk to the car opened, and the pumpkins were obediently floating out before Dipper could even get out of the car himself.

The brunet sighed when he saw, but didn’t complain. If he was being perfectly honest with himself, he hadn’t really wanted to carry the pumpkins around anyway.

“Go ahead and set them on the porch,” he instructed, eyeing the floating pumpkins. They were harmless at the moment but there was no telling how long that was going to last, what with Bill’s passion for all things weird and freaky. “I’ll have to get the carving supplies together, and we can do it this evening.”

“I wanna do it now though,” Bill complained as he levitated the pumpkins over to the porch. “Why can’t we do it now?”

“I have shit that needs to get taken care of,” Dipper replied, raising an eyebrow. “And I figured it’d give you an ample amount of time to make us some margaritas or something to drink while we carve. Bonding type things, you know?”

The demon’s face lit up at his words, and he nearly dropped one of the pumpkins midair. “You want to bond with me?” he questioned eagerly, clasping his hands together and staring at Dipper in a way that ordinarily would have made the brunet uncomfortable.

Dipper knew that this was from Bill’s weird obsession and possible ownership of him though, so he shrugged and gave a small nod. “I guess. If we’re gonna be stuck together, might as well get along.”

“We’re going to have some margaritas tonight then,” Bill decided happily as the last of the pumpkins floated into place on the porch. “And we’re going to have a _great_ time.”

Dipper nodded one last time and retreated inside in search of the pumpkin carving tools. It had been a few years since he’d carved any pumpkins at the shack, and he wasn’t quite sure where they’d put the tools the last time.

After a good half hour of searching, he finally managed to locate them in a drawer in the kitchen and cursed himself for not looking there sooner. He ever so gently set them on the counter, then retreated up to the attic to be alone for a little while.

He spent a couple of hours resting and reading over his progress on the fourth journal, pausing when he came to the page that detailed the lovely longings.

Where was Tad Strange, and why had he left? He’d said that he had some kind of a business deal to take care of that would take a few months to complete, but why hadn’t he at least heard from the demon?

 _Hold up,_ his mental voice commanded, sounding both outraged and shocked. _Tad means_ nothing _to you. You didn’t have anything special with him, so why should it matter if you haven’t heard from him?_

He turned to a different page, unable to answer his own mind’s perusings. The situation was weird, and it seemed like another small mystery in the list that he had yet to solve.

When he finished looking over the fourth journal and some scribbled notes over the apparent summonings of Seraphine, he looked up at the clock to find that it was nearing seven.

 _Might as well get to the pumpkin carving,_ he thought as he went downstairs. Dinner had probably passed by then, but he could just grab some food later, after he and Bill had carved the pumpkins.

The moment he stepped outside, much to his surprise, he found that everything to carve the pumpkins was already set up. Bill was waiting patiently for him, and he gestured to a plate of food that was sitting on the table the moment he saw Dipper.

“I saved you some,” he said with a small smile. “I figure that carving jack-o-lanterns is gonna take up plenty of strength, and you need to eat anyway.”

For a solid minute, Dipper stared at the demon before him. His face was flushed slightly from the frigid air (and something else, the brunet suspected) and his expression was bright and warm. Against his better wishes, his heart softened in a rush of affection and appreciation.

“Thanks,” he finally voiced, grabbing the plate and taking a seat next to Bill. “It’s kind of chilly out, but the plate’s still hot. How’d you manage that one?”

“Enchantment,” Bill replied nonchalantly, moving his arm to rest just along Dipper’s shoulders. “I wasn’t too sure when you’d be down, and I didn’t want to risk one of your guardian fleshsuits taking it for themselves.”

“They wouldn’t have,” Dipper mumbled as he took a bite of his dinner. It was a bit on the spicy side; a trademark sign that Bill had made it. The food tasted good though, so he continued to eat.

They exchanged small bits and pieces of conversation here and there, but otherwise they were both silent. Every once in a while Bill would begin humming a tune, and Dipper occasionally joined in.

“Can we carve the pumpkins now?” Bill asked the moment he was finished, his tone loud with enthusiasm. “Please, Pine Tree? I’ve been waiting all afternoon!”

Dipper chuckled, nodding. “You’re such a child, Cipher,” he teased lightheartedly as he stood. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that you once almost took over the world.”

“That’s in the past,” Bill murmured lowly after a few moments of silence, and Dipper glanced back at him to see that the demon was regarding him through half-lidded eyes. “I’d rather it stay there, if you don’t mind Pine Tree.”

Dipper didn’t say anything in response, and they got to work with the pumpkins. It was easy to pick his out from the small bunch, as it was a little dented on one side, and the stem curled.

“I really don’t see how you’re going to manage carving thirteen pumpkins before it gets too dark and cold to work,” he hummed as he picked up a sharpie and began sketching the outlines of a happy face. He glanced up at the demon to see that he was grinning manically.

“I do,” Bill replied gleefully, pulling off his shirt. “It’s been so _long_ since I’ve gotten to do this! Last time was way back in Fordsy’s post-college days, when we’d go back and crash frat parties.”

Dipper opened his mouth to scold Cipher and warn him that he’d catch a cold, but was stopped by the demon’s eye beginning to glow blue. Bill began muttering something under his breath that didn’t sound English, and then suddenly something was growing out of the sides of his stomach.

Understandably, Dipper screamed and his face paled. Bill’s focus didn’t break though, and soon the lumps turned into four extra arms complete with hands.

“Ta-da!” Bill singsonged when he was finished and his eye was back to normal. He waved his six hands in an almost playful manner, giving Dipper another wide grin. “Carving jack-o-lanterns is gonna be a piece of cake!”

“Y-you-” Dipper stuttered, flabbergasted. He set his pumpkin down on the table and stood, gesturing to the extra hands. “You _grew arms_.”

“I did,” Bill replied smartly, tilting his head to the side a little. His smile never wavered, but it softened into something more genuine. “My real form in the mindscape can do that too. It’s just not something I do too often because it can really take a toll on my energy levels.”

“You grew arms,” Dipper muttered again, blinking rapidly. “H-how can you-? It- it’s not possible-”

“Pine Tree, I’m a demon,” Bill reminded him. “We’ve gone over this a million times kid; I’m almost the exact opposite of normal.” He raised one of his middle hands and gently set it on his shoulder, the lower one moving to curl around his waist.

“Of course…” Bill leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of Dipper’s ear as he spoke. “If you need a reminder of that Pine Tree, I’d be more than happy to demonstrate.”

Dipper tensed under the demon’s soft caresses. “Get off,” he uttered lowly, not moving.

“As you wish,” Bill chuckled, letting go of him at once and stepping back. His demeanor changed in an instant, returning to the bright and cheerful facade that he kept in place most of the time. “Now, let’s get to work Piney! These jack-o-lanterns aren’t gonna carve themselves!”

“Fine,” Dipper agreed as he picked his pumpkin back up and walked over to the couch. He sat down and resumed sketching out the face for his pumpkin, trying to ignore the way his body had subconsciously reacted to Bill being in close proximity to him. “You’re carving the rest of the pumpkins though. If you wanted them so bad, you’re responsible for them.” He knew that he was just reiterating information by this point, but he was still too shocked to be able to come up with anything new to say.

 _Six arms._ Bill Cipher had _six_ _arms_ and his body was screwed up enough to be attracted to the demon despite that.

 _I guess I should have seen this coming_ , he thought dazedly as he carefully examined the to-be face of his pumpkin. _I’ve always gravitated towards things that were unnatural, and Bill is the near literal definition of that._ He paused to sketch out an opening at the top of the pumpkin.

“How are you supposed to open these stupid things up?” Bill asked him in a tone that had turned irritable. He glanced over at the blond to see that he was holding on to the pumpkin with three of his hands, and two of the others were holding a carving knife and a sharpie, and the final hand rested on his hip. He wore an indignant expression, and the sight altogether made Dipper want to laugh.

“You know, you’re pretty stupid for an almost all-knowing demon,” he commented, allowing a chuckle to escape. He stood and carried his pumpkin over to the table, then set it down and picked up one of the carving knives.

“It’s pretty simple,” he started explaining, ignoring the heated glare Bill was sending his way. He rested the blade of the knife against the top of the pumpkin and continued, cutting into it as he spoke. “What you’re going to want to do is draw a circle around the top like I have, then cut along the line until you get back to where you started. Then, you should be able to take the top off the pumpkin like this.” He did so with a small smile, and set the ‘lid’ of the pumpkin on the table.

Bill had been watching him raptly the entire time, and now he opened up the sharpie he was holding and carefully dragged it along the top of his pumpkin in a few strokes. Then he cut into it with the knife like Dipper had, sticking out his tongue in concentration. When he was finished, he grinned and held it up.

Dipper snorted. Of _course_ Bill had decided to draw a triangle.

“Now what?” Bill asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Have you drawn a face for your jack-o-lantern yet?” Dipper asked, glancing over at Bill’s pumpkin to see that it was still woefully blank. “Of course not,” he murmured mockingly, picking up the seed scoop and getting to work on his own pumpkin again.

“I don’t _need_ to draw any silly faces, you stupid meatsack,” Bill hissed indignantly. “I _know_ what I’m going to make this stupid thing into.”

“Carry on then,” Dipper remarked mildly, not looking up.

Things went silent for a while, only broken every once in a while by random mutterings coming from Bill ever so often. The demon didn’t ask for any more help though, and Dipper didn’t offer any. By the time the pumpkin was free of its seeds and guts, Dipper’s fingers were thoroughly numb and burning from cuts that he didn’t even know he had. He looked up to check on Bill’s progress, and promptly burst into laughter.

He didn’t know _how_ Bill had managed it, but somehow the blond was covered nearly head to toe in pumpkin entrails. He looked almost as if he were enjoying himself, but not even the biggest of smiles could hide the fact that rough shivers wracked his body every once in a while.

Dipper glanced at Bill’s progress so far and bit his lip to conceal a smile. Of _course_ Bill would carve his first pumpkin into a likeness of himself, so accurate that Dipper couldn’t have replicated it if he tried.

“Enjoying the view, Pine Tree?” Bill purred, and Dipper turned his gaze to the demon’s.

Almost instantly, he cracked a grin. “You’re covered in pumpkin.”

Bill had the sense to look indignant, though the mask shattered a moment later when he grinned back. “I’ve seen normal humans look like this before when participating in this ritual.” He held out his pumpkin to Dipper, showing it off with pride gleaming in his eye. “Lookie Piney, isn’t he gorgeous?”

 _He?_ Dipper cocked an eyebrow curiously, but he nodded nonetheless. “It took you quite a while to carve just that one though,” he pointed out. “We’re going to be out here all night at this rate.”

“Never you mind that,” Bill scolded lightly, waving his knife at Dipper. “This one is _special_. The rest of these stupid fruits are going to be a piece of cake!”

“…You know pumpkins are vegetables, right?”

Bill bristled as if he wanted to correct Dipper, but he said nothing and instead lovingly set his completed jack o lantern down on the table. With a snap of his fingers, a blue flame flickered to life inside the pumpkin, giving the demon’s likeness an eerie glow in the darkness.

“Now it won’t go out,” Bill explained when Dipper meekly questioned why he couldn’t have used a candle like normal people. The blond picked up his next pumpkin and quickly got to work, the process even faster now that he actually knew what he was doing.

 _Of course_ , Dipper mused as he watched the demon work, against his better judgment, _I guess having six hands helps out quite a bit._

He finally looked back down at his own pumpkin and began to delicately carve out its expression. He took a few moments to wonder if there was any significance to the eyes being triangle shaped, then decided that he’d ask Bill about it when he wasn’t busy with his last twelve pumpkins.

He finished carving his own pumpkin and felt a little silly as he placed it next to Bill’s elaborate design. He decided that he liked his nice pumpkin though, and decided to go off into the kitchen in search of something to drink.

It crossed his mind that Bill had promised margaritas earlier, but he pushed the thought away. There would be another time for the demon’s special blend of drink, but for now a simple bottle or two of beer would have to do.

He grabbed four from the fridge to be on the safe side and a throw blanket from the couch after a moment of consideration, then headed back outside.

“Here,” he said, setting the bottles on the table and maneuvering the blanket to rest around Bill’s shoulders. “It’s cold out.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” the demon replied dryly, looking almost insulted at the fact that Dipper had tossed a blanket around him.

“You could thank me,” the brunet pointed out, nabbing a bottle of beer and opening it. He took a small gulp, then looked at the pumpkins sitting on the table. A shooting star had joined the Bill pumpkin, and Dipper’s heart leaped in his chest when he glanced over and saw that Bill was carving a pine tree into his current pumpkin.

“You’re going to get cold too Piney,” Bill argued lightly as he focused his hand and quickly carved a few notches into his pumpkin to form individual pine needles. “The last thing we need is for you to get sick if we’re going to run a haunted trail next Saturday night.”

Dipper started. “You asked them without me?”

“Of course I did.” Bill grinned, baring his teeth as he did so. “They had no _choice_ but to listen to why it was a good idea.”

“If you did something to them-” Dipper began warningly, but was swiftly cut off.

“Learn to take a joke, Pine Tree. Stanford was considering doing a haunted house anyway, so it was only too easy to get him to say yes to a trail.”

Bill finished the pine tree that he was working on and took a moment to study it, then nodded in satisfaction. Azure fire began to glow at the heart of the jack o lantern, and it joined the others on the table.

“You’re creating your summoning circle,” Dipper realized as he studied the pumpkins. “Aren’t you?”

The demon snorted. “Of course I am Pine Tree,” he stated sardonically, holding out an expectant hand. “Hand me a beer; I’m parched.”

He did as the demon asked and silently picked up a bottle and held it out to him. Bill accepted it with his top right hand and opened it with his left, then took a couple of large gulps of the drink.

Dipper went back over to the couch and settled back into the cushions, more than content to watch Bill finish up his pumpkins.

Where the demon had taken great care to add in detail to the pine tree and shooting star lanterns, he put next to no effort in the rest of the symbols of his summoning wheel. The two spent the next few hours chatting and drinking, even as the temperature continued to dip.

Finally, Bill finished up the last symbol of his summoning wheel, then stood and stretched. “It’s good to be finished,” he murmured, closing his eye briefly. When it opened again, it was glowing once more and the demon’s extra arms were beginning to retract again.

“You’re not going to carve the last two?” Dipper questioned, gesturing to them.

Bill shook his head in response, a grin slowly spreading over his lips. “We’ve both been...on edge lately,” he said, though Dipper had to wonder in what context that wasn’t a lie.

“Have we?” he asked, blinking in surprise. “I thought we’d actually been doing pretty good; we haven’t tried to kill each other for a good few weeks.”

“Anyway,” the demon continued, shooting him a glare. “I figured that we could both use some stress relief, and you need to practice your magic too. You’ve been slacking off lately.”

“Bill…” Dipper warned, rising to his feet. “What are you-?”

He never got the chance to finish the question because in the next instant, one of the two remaining pumpkins blew to smithereens, covering both humans and the front porch in orange chunks and entrails.

Bill giggled, oblivious to the sudden rush of anger Dipper felt. “See Pine Tree? Wasn’t that fun?”

Dipper wiped pumpkin out of his eyelashes and glared at the demon. “You call this _fun_?” he hissed. “Not only am I freezing, I’m a complete mess now!”

“See?” the blond insisted, shooting him an infuriating smirk. “I told you that you needed a stress reliever!”

“What the hell, Bill?” Dipper complained, seething. “I didn’t need it until you blew one of them up!”

Bill frowned, some of the happiness in his expression fading. “I thought exploding the pumpkins would be fun though…” he muttered, crossing his arms and looking away from Dipper. “And aside from carving the pumpkins, we haven’t really done anything fun together lately.”

Dipper sighed in resignation, stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. A voice in the back of his mind warned him that he was only encouraging Bill’s obsessive behavior over him, but he pushed it aside.

“I told you that this friendship was going to take a while to form,” he told the demon gently. “And-”

 _Don’t do it_ , his mental voice warned.

“-I’m sorry that I haven’t done much to at least _try_ bonding with you,” he finished, voice turning into a mumble by the end of the sentence.

Bill had become something like a puzzle to him over the past month since they’d tentatively decided to try being friends again, calm one moment and then needing reassurance that Dipper liked him in the next. Stanley had warned him that though he was glad Bill and Dipper were on speaking terms again, that the demon’s obsession was a dangerous thing to deal with, one he’d be better off staying away from.

However, Bill was Dipper’s problem now, and he needed to learn how to deal with the demon and work around his supposed ownership of him. Sure, the blond managed to creep him out every once in a while with his intensity, but he figured that it was some demon thing that he wouldn’t understand.

“So you’ll use your mind to blow up the pumpkin?” Bill asked him then, his tone hopeful. He turned to face Dipper once more, his eye lighting up despite the half frown still on his lips.

“Sure,” Dipper agreed with a nod and small smile.

Bill was his problem now. For better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear readers, and welcome to Friday =) Also, sorry Nat, but no double update =/
> 
> So, I'm still here. Gravity Falls has "ended" (rumors of a new short???) and I promise you all, I'm not going anywhere. Since everyone else has everywhere else, I'm gonna go on this giant spiel about the show after I mention how much of a child Bill was in this chapter.
> 
> So, yeah. He acted like such a little kid over the pumpkin thing ^^
> 
> Okay, Gravity Falls. Where do I begin?
> 
> The show did, back in 2012. My beta-sis, Sharon, was immediately interested, and she's been in the fandom since the beginning. Me....I turned my nose up (Legend of the Gobblewonker was on) and scoffed, said it was stupid. Wrote the show off and get this - actually forgot about its existence until Sharon showed me Sock Opera I think in September two years ago.
> 
> I fell in love. Billdip was an in to the show for me, and Sock Opera began an obsession that hasn't ended yet and probably won't for a very long time. 
> 
> Gravity Falls has given me so much. It's given me an irreplaceable family in the Margarita Cult, and even more irreplaceable friends in Eiris and Emberglows. I snap with Ember on a near-daily basis and Eiris.....sorry-not-sorry to brag, but I'm her very proud and very much in love girlfriend.
> 
> Social connections aside, Gravity Falls (through Billdip) has allowed me to expand my writing talent. Where I was pre-Entropy compared to where I am now amazes me weekly and I sometimes wonder what I'd be doing if I'd never gotten addicted. Probably some stupid shit. I also began drawing, kinda a little bit, even though I know I'll never do it much.
> 
> I have all of you. Before the show, I hadn't unlocked any writing talent really, and then I come along and write this gorgeous gonna-be-200something-thousand-word-mess and much to my surprise, people liked it and followed and kudosed and commented. It blows my mind how much love you all have given me. 
> 
> It gave me my #1 OTP. Back early on in the ship, I dived straight into the fanfics.....and almost back out, thanks to The Ghost of You it Keeps Me Awake. It almost sunk my ship faster than the Titanic. I couldn't sleep straight for a week. Then, out of some weird obsession with THAT, I went and read it again. I've read so many gems, and this is where I'm gonna spiral this spiel into a day that I meant to post on and then didn't.
> 
> Fanwork Appreciation Day recently passed through, and I want to shout out all of my favorite fanfics. Because there's literally not enough space to do so, have a link to my fanfic recommendation list! http://angelofmysteries.tumblr.com/fic-recs
> 
> And here's another thing Gravity Falls has given me - the chance to appreciate the talents of all of you. This fandom has so many amazing writers and artists, idealogists and detectives. So many works to chew through, too little time. A folder on my external hard drive filled with thousands of fanarts that I just sit and stare at sometimes, and marvel at the beauty. Fanfics on my kindle that I choose to read over actual books all the time.
> 
> So, cheers to us all. The show has ended, but it lives on in our fandom and family. I, for one, couldn't be any happier than I am with the finished product of all the show's efforts <3


	24. Chapter 24

“-And so that’s why you mortals dress up on All Hallow’s Eve,” Bill finished under his breath.

Dipper nodded absentmindedly, keeping his sharp gaze on the woods. Screams occasionally rang out into the air and despite Bill’s earlier reassurances, he still didn’t feel right about not having anyone lead the way through the haunted trail.

_“You’ll only succumb to the trail too,”_ the demon had warned when he’d brought it up. _“Our job is to make sure that each meatsack that goes in comes back out alive. That won’t even be a problem, because the lost ones will have a guide.”_

The only thing that had convinced Dipper to let the trail go on was the reassurance that Bill knew what he was doing, and that he knew what was going on in the woods at all times.

Well, almost all the time anyway. They still didn’t have a way to track the person that was summoning Seraphine, and Gideon was still in prison.

He had never left.

“What else did you find out?” Dipper murmured as he took money from the people standing in line. They entered the woods in groups of five, but almost always came out one at a time.

“Supposedly, you humans carve jack-o-lanterns because of an idiot that made a deal with the devil and then tried cheating.” Bill snorted. “His name was Jack. Predictable, right?”

Dipper paused in taking money from customers for a moment and stared at the demon. “Is that all there is to it?” he asked skeptically, arching an eyebrow. “Did you even research everything as thoroughly as you said you did?”

“Of course I did!” Bill snapped haughtily, and it was then that a particularly loud scream echoed from within the woods. Guilt flashed across the demon’s expression and he calmed.

“Of course I did,” he repeated smoothly. “Get back to work and I’ll tell you more.”

Dipper rolled his eyes, but turned his attention back to the customers. “It’s five per person,” he recited with a small smile. “Three if you’re in a group of five or more.” Grunkle Stan hadn’t liked the idea of a discount for larger groups, but Dipper had reassured him that it would attract more people. True to his ethic, it seemed to have worked.

The leader of the current group forked over a twenty, and Dipper handed her back two dollars. “Enjoy the trail!” he called after the teens as they made their way to the entrance Bill had created.

Which, thinking of, the demon had never told him how he was even running the trail. He’d asked a couple of days ago how Bill wanted to do it, but the blond had only insisted that Dipper let him take care of it. The demon hadn’t said anything since, and he was beginning to worry.

“So, Jack,” Bill continued smartly, closing his eye briefly in concentration. A shriek sounded from somewhere within the woods seconds later, and he continued. “Stupid guy, he was. Smart though, undoubtedly clever.”

“What did he do?” Dipper murmured, trying his best to block out the sounds of the woods. Whatever horror trap Bill had planted, he hoped that nobody would get seriously hurt.

“Played with the devil,” Bill replied with a small chuckle. “Way way back when, in Ireland, Jack invited the devil to go drinking with him despite the fact that he had no money. He bribed the devil into turning himself into a coin and tricked him into that form, eventually releasing him for the promise that he’d be left alone for a year and that his soul could not be claimed if he died.”

“Is that it?” Dipper asked when Bill stopped speaking for well over a minute.

The demon rolled his eye. “Of course not, Jack was only granted freedom for a year. It eventually passed, and he tricked the devil once more by having him climb up into a tree to grab a fruit, then marking a cross into the bark.”

“I think I can see where this is going,” Dipper mused with a small grin. “So he trapped the devil again, and bribed him for more time?”

Bill beamed. “You’ve got it! Except this time, he managed to earn ten years, instead of just one.”

“So what happened?” Dipper asked, leaning back to relax. They were currently in-between customers, and there was nothing to do other than work and talk. “Did the devil finally catch up to him?”

Bill was silent for a long moment before responding. “In a way,” he said slowly. “Jack died not very long after making the deal. Whatever mortal God was supported at that time refused to let him into heaven, so it was the devil’s choice of what was to happen to him.”

“Which was…..?”

The demon grinned impishly. “Nothing too bad,” he murmured with an innocuous flutter of his eyelashes. “The devil was just upset with Jack, angered that he had been tricked, so he sought out punishment in a...different form, rather than sending him to Hell.” Bill paused for a moment, likely for dramatic effect. “Instead, he sentenced Jack to travel in the night forever, with a coal to light the way. He stuck the thing in a turnip, mortals started using both pumpkins and _potatoes_ of all things, yadda yadda - something about evil spirits, and the rest is history.”

Dipper stared. Bill stared back, his gaze unwavering.

“Well?” the brunet finally asked, waving a hand in a circle. “Is that it? Why were they using potatoes? How did it come to carving faces in _pumpkins_?”

Finally, the demon sighed. “You’re so stupid,” he murmured, his voice sounding sympathetic. “Piney, Piney, _Piney, seriously._ Do you know nothing? Pumpkins weren’t really a grown fruit-"

“Vegetable,” Dipper automatically corrected.

Bill snorted, then continued. “-until people started populating North America.”

Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t get the chance to respond as a few separate cars pulled into the Mystery Shack’s odd area of a parking lot. He narrowed his eyes in curiosity. The trail would stop being run at ten, and he could have sworn that they didn’t have a lot of time left…

He quickly turned on his phone and checked the time. 8:27.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

“Have a good night!” Bill called cheerfully after the last few stragglers of the haunted trail, who were trembling either from cold or fear. Dipper suspected it was both.

“My turn,” he announced, standing and popping his knuckles. “Everyone else has gotten to enjoy your mysterious haunted trail, and now I want to. Take the safe into the house for Grunkle Stan, will you?”

“Dipper,” Bill began, his tone turning from light to serious in the blink of an eye. “You don’t want to go through there, believe me.”

The brunet paused for a moment to ponder his words, then shook his head resolutely. “I want to,” he repeated. “I at least need to know what everyone else went through.”

Again, Bill hesitated. “Fine,” he murmured curtly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” He retreated inside, leaving Dipper to face the haunted trail the demon had crafted on his own.

“Man up,” he muttered to himself as he left the safety of the back porch and walked to the edge of the woods. “Little _kids_ were able to get through this okay, so it should be a piece of cake!”

Stepping into the woods though, he thought that he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Everything was immediately plunged into darkness, something that wouldn’t have been a problem if he could at least see where he was going. He kept walking straight, confident in his mind’s image of what he’d seen of the trail before losing his sense of sight.

Two red circles quickly flashed into being, accompanied by a low chuckle that made Dipper hesitate. He _was_ on the path, right?

“ _Dipper…”_ the wind seemed to hiss, the word resonating all around him in a multitude of voices.

He stopped walking, looking around frantically. He’d heard those voices before, he just _knew_ it.

_Keep going,_ something inside of him commanded.

He listened to the singular voice and kept moving in the direction that he thought was forward, plugging his ears with his hands. If he couldn’t hear the other voices, they couldn’t hurt him.

Even in his head, that sounded stupid.

He continued on though, flinching at the red eyes that occasionally fixed their gaze on him. He didn’t know what they belonged to, and he sure as hell didn’t want to find out.

_I’m not really scared though_ , he rationalized. _Is this really all there is to it?_

“I’m sure that’s what you’d like to think!” Mabel’s voice cackled from out of thin air. She stepped out of the darkness, and Dipper screamed.

Blood flowed freely from a bullet hole in her forehead, running down her face in small rivulets of red. From what he could see, gashes ran across her body in haphazard patterns and blood flowed freely from those wounds too.

“Afraid yet?” Mabel continued in a taunt, grinning in a sickly sweet way. “Why _Bro_ , you’re only just beginning!”

Dipper paled and took a step back, to no avail. Mabel came closer and the smell of death rolled off her in waves so strong that it made him nauseous.

“This isn’t real,” he muttered under his breath, screwing his eyes shut. Mabel laughed again and the voices joined hers. “It’snotrealit’snotrealit’sno-”

Suddenly, everything was silent again. Too silent, and it put him even more on edge than he had been. This was all _wrong_ and it was only _illusion_ , it _had_ to be.

He didn’t dare open his eyes though. He didn’t know what he’d see, and he didn’t _want_ to know. If he had the choice he’d rather just wait for Bill to miss his presence and go after him. He’d do that, right?

_Just keep going,_ the voice inside him coaxed gently, filling him with warmth and courage. _It’ll end eventually, and nothing bad will happen. You wanted this._

Begrudgingly, he had to admit that it was right. He _had_ told Bill that he wanted to go through the trail, but he’d expected it to be something fake and over the top and mildly spooky, nothing like _this_.

If this was what everyone else had experienced, it was a wonder that they’d made it out as okay as they had.

_You can do this._

Dipper opened his eyes at last – not that it really made much of a difference – and stumbled forward, wondering when the dark was going to let up. He’d been able to see Mabel, sure, but she’d been the only thing aside from the glowing red eyes. He shuddered just from thinking about them. He was fairly certain that _those_ had been the other voices.

For a small time, there was nothing. A minute could have passed, five or ten or an hour, and there wasn’t anything but the dark and the silence, save for twigs snapping and leaves crunching. At least, he hoped that that was what it was.

Finally, he was confronted with the next ‘challenge’ as he dubbed it. His breath stopped in his chest, even though his heart beat impossibly fast.

Wright stood in front of him, brown hair and eyes the same as they always had been, except the warmth in his expression was gone.

“You ignored me,” he murmured, glaring at Dipper with blank eyes. “You never spoke to me again. I thought you cared.”

Words caught in his throat, the ones he’d always wanted to say but had never had the courage to. After _that_ _day_ , he’d carefully avoided and ignored the younger teen until the texts ceased to exist, and the occasional note stopped appearing in his locker. Wright eventually gave up, and his existence stopped being a significant factor in Dipper’s life.

Now, though…..now he was filled with nothing but regret.

“I knew,” the younger teen whispered, his expression softening slightly. “Why did you shut me away? I could have helped.”

“I-I’m sorry,” he finally breathed, faltering and taking a step back, just as he had done when confronted by the creature that wasn’t Mabel. “I-I did-didn’t-”

“You’re a coward,” Wright hissed, his expression shifting to one of disgust. “Pathetic.”

Dipper flinched, but deep down he knew that he deserved the words. He _should_ have sought the younger teen out after that day, explained what had happened and tried to find a way around his dad. He was weak, back then, and his father had seemed so much more powerful than him.

That was then, though, and this was now.

“I’m sorry,” he voiced again, straightening. Deep down he knew that this was just an illusion – it _had_ to be – but this somehow just felt right. “You’re right, Wright. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.”

The younger teen’s expression changed to one of shock, and he faded until there was nothing but the darkness anymore. Once more, Dipper was alone.

_That’s it then?_ He thought, puzzled. _I just have to confront whatever I face, and it’ll end?_

That made no sense though. He hadn’t managed to confront not-Mabel, not in nearly the same way that he was able to confront Wright, and she’d still disappeared too. Or had his inaction just been enough?

_You’re overthinking this,_ he thought, shaking his head. He began walking again, this time more relaxed than after the last encounter.

A sudden realization struck him then, and he chuckled. “This is the weirdest haunted trail I’ve ever been on,” he murmured. Bill had been in charge of the trail in its entirety, and the only thing that he’d been privileged to know was that it existed. “I’m definitely going to have to talk with Bill about what actually happens in these things.”

It was once again a little while before he ran into the next challenge, but he wasn’t worried this time.

And oh, what a mistake that was. The next illusion he faced was one that he could barely see at first aside from bright flashes of color, one that came into a sharper contrast the closer he stepped to it.

Bill faced off against a shadow, fury alive in his expression as he threw blue tinted magic at his opponent. The shadow easily dodged and cackled, and Dipper’s heart nearly stopped when it did. The laugh sounded _identical_ to Mabel’s even though it couldn’t be hers because she loved Bill just as she loved him.

She _did_ love Bill, right?

“Face it!” the shadow taunted, flinging its own burst of magic - iridescently colored - at Bill. “You’ve lost, Cipher! Gravity Falls is mine!”

The shadow was Seraphine, Dipper realized as he studied the details of the illusion. She was represented as a shadow because he didn’t know what she looked like, and she probably sounded like Mabel because she was the female whose voice he heard the most often.

“You’re _wrong_ ,” Bill snarled, putting more power and force into his next strike. Seraphine dodged again, and he shot off another. “Dipper would never le-”

Seraphine laughed triumphantly then, cutting him off. “You’re such a _fool_ , Cipher,” the demoness hissed as she flung another burst of iridescent magic at him. “Do you really think he _loves_ you? After all this time? The joke’s on you, my old nemesis.”

Bill's eye widened at Seraphine's words and he was too slow to react; the demoness' magic _hit_ and before Dipper's eyes, the golden-haired demon blurred and vanished.

_"Bill!"_ Dipper screamed, running forward even though deep down he knew it was useless. The demon was dead, and Dipper was alone in the dark again.

His heart pounded inside his chest and he had to struggle to keep from hyperventilating as he sank down to the ground. Bill had just _died_ and he’d done _nothing_ , hadn’t been _able_ to...

“Cheer up,” his own voice hummed, and he looked up through tears to see a pair of glowing purple eyes and nothing more. “ _You_ came out of the deal okay.”

What Dipper thought was the rest of the illusion came into view then and it _was_ himself. He was dressed in dark clothes, and he held up a silver pocket knife that dripped red blood.

If Dipper had calmed down any from seeing Bill die, it vanished at seeing himself like this, even with the dose of reality that reminded him that these were only illusions.

_Bill’s not dead and this isn’t_ real.

“Think what you’d like.” Another voice joined his, and Dipper’s heart nearly stopped for the second time that night.

Tad.

The first thing he could see was a hand coming to rest on the other Dipper’s shoulder, and then the raven haired demon stepped into sight.

Strange’s own eyes were glowing a light purple, and his lips were stretched into a smile that looked downright creepy. Dipper found himself speechless at the mirage before him, from shock of seeing Tad again and wariness at what the illusion implied.

The other him took a step forward and held the knife up to his lips, smiling. “This was always going to happen anyway,” he whispered, his tongue darting out to lap up the blood. “Embrace the inevitable, Dipper.”

“No,” he finally choked out, shaking his head. “This isn’t real, _you aren’t real_ …”

“Aren’t I though?” Tad purred, raising his hands. For the first time, Dipper could see the wooden X’s he held, the almost-invisible strings that connected them to the other Dipper. “You’re my puppet now, Sapling, isn’t that nice? Our _affair_ was enough of a _fuck you_ in Cipher’s face, but this is so much _better_. Wouldn’t you agree, my little pet?”

The other Dipper nodded his head almost mechanically and the sight of it made Dipper nauseous. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping that the illusion would just vanish on its own, like Mabel had.

He could admit it, he was afraid now. This was a different kind of fear than was probably intended for the haunted trail, but it was _terror_ all the same. A terror that amplified a million and a half times when something warm and sharp pressed against the back of his neck.

“How does it feel, Dipper Pines?” his own voice whispered in his ear. “This is what you’ve become, I am who you _are_. How does it it feel, to know this?”

Dipper didn’t dare answer, didn’t dare try to move. A part of him knew that this _had_ to be fake, but why did it _feel_ real then?

“You don’t exist,” he muttered under his breath instead, nearing hysteria. “You’re not real, you’re not real. This is fake, this is just an illusion, it’s _not real_.”

The other him was still speaking in his ear, but he ignored it and kept chanting the same words over and over again like a mantra. Time passed and he _believed_ what he was saying, the pressure of the knife was _gone_ and he couldn’t hear the illusion anymore, but he didn’t dare open his eyes.

“Need some help?”

A gentle and eerily familiar voice broke through Dipper’s muttering, cutting through the madness and filling him with serenity.

He looked up at what _had_ to be the next illusion, only to find that he was staring at a downright freakish version of himself. This Dipper had an almost completely human body from the torso on up, but that was where normal ended. His body was that of a deer, and an impressive rack of antlers adorned his head. He wore an obnoxiously yellow shirt with Bill’s original triangle form on it, and an unbuttoned plaid one over that.

Dipper screamed and scooted back as quickly as he was able, positive that somehow _this_ was a million and a half times worse than seeing himself as Tad’s puppet.

“Get the hell away from me!” he yelled, instinctively throwing an arm out in front of him to protect against whatever attack was sure to come from the deer-thing.

Instead of attacking though, the not-him looked annoyed. “Calm down,” he said slowly. “I’m here to help. I’m your guide.”

Dipper faltered at that, because he remembered Bill saying something about the lost ones having a guide to help them to safety. Was the deer-person telling the truth? A moment later, he gave a small nod. Yes, he would believe the deer for now. Bill surely wouldn’t let him get killed, right?

He studied not-him again, taking in all of his features. Not-him carried a messenger bag over one shoulder, and the pine tree symbol was embroidered on the front of it. Mabel’s work, he would have guessed.

“What are you?” he asked, taking the outstretched hand that not-him offered and standing. “Some kind of a centaur?”

Not-him sighed. “I prefer the term cervitaur. At least you’re not half as bad as Bill was when he first ran into me in this form.”

Even with the body of a deer, not-him was the same height as Dipper. For a minute, Dipper stood there and studied not-him, while the cervitaur had a thoughtful expression on his face. Finally, he spoke.

“I suppose you have a lot of questions. I have some answers, but I can tell you them on the way.” Again, not-him fell silent and studied Dipper with that same contemplative look. “I guess if I’m going to take you home, you can ride on my back. It’s not something I ever really let anyone else do because it gets annoying as fuck for them to ask, but I guess you can be the exception. You’re me, after all.”

“How is this even possible?” Dipper muttered, blinking rapidly. “This can’t be real.”

“I can understand why you’d think that,” not-him said sympathetically. “I’m you, Dipper, except from a different dimension where this is my form. Now hurry up and climb on, before your Bill decides that he doesn’t want to wait any longer.”

Dipper hesitated and studied the other’s body, trying to figure out how it would even work. Would he just sit on his back like when riding a horse? He bit his lip and walked over to the side of the cervitaur, running a hand absentmindedly over his flank. The fur was soft to the touch, a dark brown color that was still dappled with white spots even though Dipper was sure he had the body of an adult.

“Careful there,” the cervitaur warned, looking back at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “I don’t know how much you actually know about deer – Cipher knows I didn’t know much of anything before the _Fluventis_ – but now isn’t really a good time of the year for me.”

Dipper quickly took his hand off of not-him, even though he didn’t know the connotations behind his words. He admittingly didn’t know a lot, but from the sound of the cervitaur’s words, it wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Climb on,” the cervitaur said again, shifting a little. “Would it be easier for you if I kneeled? I don’t like doing that a whole lot either because it takes a lot of effort, but I’ll make an exception for you.”

Not-him did kneel as he spoke though, and Dipper hesitantly moved to straddle him, not sure what to do with his hands. The cervitaur answered the unspoken question a moment later though, almost as if he could read Dipper’s mind.

“Go ahead and put your hands on my shoulders. Not around my waist – again, bad time of the year – and I’m not really so sure what would happen. Bill did a number on me yesterday, but fall is a weird time that I _still_ don’t really have a grasp on.”

Dipper did as instructed, taking in not-him’s words. He thought that he might have some kind of an idea of what the cervitaur was talking about now, but he wasn’t certain.

He decided to try anyway, as not-him started walking, probably headed toward the shack. “So, by bad time of the year, do you mean…?”

Not-him chuckled. “Let’s just say, I’m not in the mood to try selfcest right now, and I highly doubt that you are either. You’re together with Bill in this dimension, right?”

Dipper scoffed, looking down at the ground. “Of course not,” he mumbled. “We’ve kissed and stuff, but…”

“Gotcha,” Not-him replied with a nod before he could finish the thought. “Things are awkward for you guys then. What the story behind it?”

“What’s your relationship with _your_ Bill?” This was officially the weirdest conversation Dipper had ever had.

Again, the cervitaur laughed. “Isn’t it kind of obvious? Bill might be an asshole, but we’re going out anyway. And more, you know.”

“So you guys are together?”

Not-him stopped walking. “Well…yeah. Bill was a downright jerk when he popped back into my life after the _Fluventis_ disaster, but he calmed down after Lee dumped a bucket of the shit over his head and turned him permanently into a human. What’s your story though? It sounds way more interesting and complicated.”

“Bill lied to me about who he was,” Dipper grumbled, his mood darkening. “Or, he kept his real identity from me, anyway.”

Not-him nodded. “Classic illuminati asshole behavior,” he said cheerfully, resuming the journey. “Is that all? It sounds like you’re overreacting big time, buddy.”

“Why does everyone always say that?” Dipper grumbled, rolling his eyes. “He _lied_ to me.”

“But he made it right, right?” not-him questioned, glancing over his shoulder at Dipper. “Look, I can see where you’re coming from because I’m you, but cut Bill some slack. He’s not human, so he doesn’t understand the basic things that we tend to freak out over. You should have seen my Bill the first time he tried drinking alcohol and poured it into his eyes.” The cervitaur chuckled. “Now _that_ was hilarious, especially because we hated each other at the time.”

“How’d you end up like…this, anyway?” Dipper questioned, ready for a shift in the subject. “Is this natural? Was it how you were born?”

Not-him shook his head. “Fuck no,” he responded casually, though his tone dipped into a darker one. “The reason I’m a cervitaur is my fault and mine alone. We had some water shortages one summer and so I went into the woods because I’d seen this stream around that seemed to be everflowing. A word of advice, Dip- _never_ drink anything from the woods without consulting something that actually knows a thing or two about the paranormal. By my guess, that’s Bill.”

“You drank the water, and it turned you into-“

“Deerper, as Mabel and Bill like to call me,” the cervitaur cut in, his tone exasperated. “It’s annoying as fuck, but they insist that it makes sense.”

Deerper _did_ make sense, Dipper decided. From then on, he’d refer to the cervitaur as that, rather than by his name.

“What about the rest of the town?” he questioned. “What do they think of you, being….like that?”

“Well, they don’t really care because they’ve got their own forms to worry about.” Deerper shrugged. “I guess you want to hear about them, huh?”

Dipper nodded, then remembered that the cervitaur couldn’t see it. “Yeah,” he murmured. “It’d be nice to have something to think about, rather than my own life problems.”

“I understand,” Deerper said, and continued his tale. “When I found the stream, I was so excited to share it with the town that I didn’t think to test it beforehand and everyone got a drink of it. By the next morning, we were all freaks. I’m a cervitaur, as you can clearly see, and Mabel gets to be a mermaid.”

“I’m sure she likes that,” Dipper said with a small groan. “She might be in love with Pacifica, but she never _really_ got over Mermando.”

“You’re just still salty because he was our first kiss,” Deerper teased playfully. “I got the chance to reconcile with that a long time ago, so he doesn’t really bother me anymore. And Mabel likes it, yeah, but she also knows how big of an inconvenience it can be to lug around her tank everywhere and keep her submerged in water. In the summer, she tends to live in a pond near the edge of the woods and she enjoys that more than sleeping in a giant fish tank.”

“So Bill’s a human there?”

“Mmhmm,” Deerper hummed.

“And you guys are okay? How is your relationship able to _work_? He’s terrible, and after everything he’s done-”

“Look,” Deerper interrupted. “We’re getting close to home, so it’s about time that we start wrapping this up anyway. I don’t know everything about your situation and I’m _positive_ there’s some things you’re hiding, from both me _and_ Bill, so let me just tell you this – he really cares about you, Dipper. Us. I don’t know if we’re just the design of Bill’s soulmate or whatnot, but our lives have always been entangled. In my dimension, I love Bill despite who he is, and he loves me back in his own weird and twisted way. I know that this is a different dimension, but I don’t think the situation’s all too different. Bill cares about you, Dipper. I know it doesn’t always seem like it, but he really does. Just…trust me, on that at least.”

Deerper fell silent, waiting for some kind of a response out of Dipper, one he wasn’t so sure he had the strength to give. The cervitaur’s words left him contemplating everything of the past month, from Bill’s revelation to his own actions.

“We’re here,” Deerper finally murmured softly, coming to a stop. Dipper looked up to find that they’d come to the edge of the woods, and that the Mystery Shack loomed ahead in the near distance.

“Thanks for the ride,” Dipper mumbled as he clambered off the cervitaur’s back. “And for talking to me, I guess.”

“No prob,” Deerper replied with a cheerful grin. “It was kinda nice to have another me to talk to, other than Tyrone when I feel like copying myself. I’m probably not going to see you ever again, and I doubt your Bill is going to be nice enough to let me keep my memory of meeting you. Again though, this was nice. Even if you did scream when you saw me.”

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I thought you were another illusion, and…”

Deerper waved away his words. “It’s no problem,” he reiterated. He stuck out a hand for Dipper to take. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Dipper said with a small smile.

The cervitaur tilted his head in the direction of the shack. “You should probably get going before Cipher gets too impatient,” he commented with a small chuckle. “I don’t completely know what yours was like – we didn’t get much time to converse before he plopped me down into this dimension – but he seems a lot like mine.”

Dipper nodded, curiosity spiking. It wasn’t _fair_ that he got to meet another version of himself, one much more intelligent and cooler than himself, and then have not-him ripped away in an instant. Now that the clock was ticking down so much faster, there were so many things he wanted to ask the cervitaur, so many assurances to be given.

He stepped back from the cervitaur though, and gave him another nod. “Nice to meet you,” he said again, for lack of knowing what else there was to say.

Deerper raised his hand in a wave and faded to nothing, much like Wright had back on the trail. Dipper blinked a few times, wondering not for the first time that night, if anything he’d seen was even real. He’d _felt_ Deerper, sure, had ridden on his back, but who was to say that it wasn’t just another part of the illusion?

At the very least, he thought as he left the woods and headed back up to the shack, he could understand why everyone else had been kind of messed up at the end of it. And while some of the illusions he’d seen had fucked with his head more than he thought they could, they also left him with more than one thing to contemplate.

Bill was waiting for him in the living room, already holding out a margarita. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly. His own cerulean eye had an almost haunted look in it, mirroring how Dipper felt.

“‘m fine,” he mumbled, accepting the drink and taking it over to the couch. He sat down and took a sip, closing his eyes to think. “You were probably right when you told me that I shouldn’t go through it. I learned a thing or two, but...you were right.”

Bill settled down next to him, casually laying an arm across his shoulders. Dipper tensed reflexively, but decided to let him keep it there. They sat together in silence for a while, sipping from their drinks occasionally and on Dipper’s end, enjoying the companionship. Was Bill?

A quick glance told him that yes, Bill seemed to be enjoying himself, but how much of that was just a facade?

“How are you doing?” he finally voiced, setting his glass down on the coffee table.

“You saw me an hour ago,” Bill pointed out, rolling his eye. “I’m not doing any different than I was then.”

“You don’t seem okay,” Dipper observed, turning his gaze completely to the demon. “I know you’re trying to act like everything’s all fine and dandy, but that doesn’t work on me anymore Bill.”

“I’m just thinking,” Bill muttered, looking away from the brunet and sulking. “And I asked you first, Pine Tree.”

“I said I was fine.”

“And I know you well enough to know that you were lying,” the demon snapped, setting his glass on the table and standing. He turned to face Dipper, his eye alight with fury. “Something that you keep doing, actually. Why don’t you try being honest about yourself once in a while, come to terms with how you’re _really_ feeling?”

“What do you want me to say?” Dipper asked sarcastically, flicking a hand in dismissal. He set his glass down on the table next to Bill’s, no longer really in the mood for it. “ _Fuck,_ Bill, _I_ don’t even know how I feel anymore! Everything’s so confusing and I’m supposed to hate you, but I _can’t_. And then I saw-“ he cut himself off then and crossed his arms, falling into an irritated silence.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Bill standing and glaring, and Dipper refusing to look at him and talk. Finally, he stood and broke the silence.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to bed.”

He walked out of the room, something in the back of his mind wondering how the situation had exploded so quickly. Bill _wasn’t_ okay, as much as he wanted to pretend he was, and his agitation was beginning to show through the façade clearly.

_Or maybe you’re just now really taking note of it,_ his conscience told him in a tone that sounded smug, not that that made any sense either.

“I just don’t even know anymore,” he grumbled under his breath as he walked into his room and slammed the door behind him. He threw himself down onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow, doing the most irrational thing (at least in his mind) since middle school – he screamed.

At some point, some time way later in the night, it occurred to him that he should probably actually get _ready_ for bed instead of just sleeping in his uncomfortable jeans. He stripped down to only his boxers and crawled under the covers, intent on going to sleep.

It eluded him though, despite his best efforts. He glanced at the clock once - 2:38 in the morning, and then again sometime after three. Bill still wasn’t there and somewhere in the mix, Dipper wondered if that was why he couldn’t sleep.

_That’s ridiculous though,_ he rationalized, turning over onto his side. _Bill has nothing to do with it._

He couldn’t deny the small rush of happiness he got when the demon finally joined him around four though, nor how his body _finally_ seemed ready to relax.

“Goodnight,” he grumbled, hating himself for giving in.

“Night,” Bill murmured as he crawled under the blanket and curled into a ball, his back pressed against Dipper’s. His tone was laced with surprise, “I didn’t think you’d be awake, Pine Tree.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Dipper replied in a mumble.

“Ah.” Everything fell silent for a few minutes, before Bill’s voice, surprisingly soft and almost sad, broke it.

“Dipper? Do...do you think we can ever be anything? Do you ever think you can come to love me again?”

He didn’t respond. A small part of him truly wasn’t sure, and the rest of him vehemently denied what he already knew was the answer.

Despite the warmth and eventual comforting snores of the demon beside him, he still didn’t sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Monday, my dear readers =) Sorry this is so late, I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out how I was gonna word this chapter and whatnot.
> 
> Not gonna lie, I actually don't really know what to say this time around. So, uh....enjoy?


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning in this chapter for mentions of past self harm and suicide attempt

“Dipper, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Bill warned, crossing his arms and frowning. “How many years has it been since you’ve seen this guy?”

“Just a few,” the brunet replied, rolling his eyes at the demon’s antics. He pulled on a tee-shirt and ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide if he looked okay. “And really, less than that. We still saw each other throughout the years, we just….didn’t talk.”

“All the more reason not to do this,” Bill huffed. “Why stir up the pot of old feelings and make trouble where it’s not needed?”

“The trouble’s been there all along,” Dipper commented, changing his mind and combing over his hair. In his opinion, it looked better neat. “I’m trying to make up for my past mistake, and it’s long overdue.”

“ _Still_ _,”_ the demon whined, putting on his best pouty expression. “We were supposed to work on magic today, and instead you’re going out on a date with _him_.”

“It’s _not_ a date,” Dipper argued immediately, turning a glare onto Bill. “We’re going to have breakfast, and I’m going to apologize for being such an asshole and potentially reconnect with an old friend.”

“You guys made out _one time.”_

“Shut up,” the brunet mumbled, blushing. “We were still kind of friends…”

“No,” Bill said flatly, turning to leave. “You weren’t.”

Dipper sighed and finished getting ready, though he wasn’t as cheerful as before. Now that Bill had spoken up, all kinds of doubts were beginning to rear up in the back of his mind.

_He’s right, we were never really friends. It was just a one-time thing and I’m reading too much into everything. It was just an illusion, and it was only chance that his phone number hadn’t changed._

Still, he’d made a promise and it would be a dick move to back out an hour before the time they’d agreed to meet.

 _Am I really doing the right thing though?_ he asked himself glumly as he slipped on a jacket and made his way downstairs, then outside to his car.  He started it up and pulled away from the Mystery Shack.

The drive to the restaurant they’d be meeting at took most of the hour, a solid forty-five minutes in which Dipper tried to convince himself that this was a good idea.

 _Surely I can just turn around and go back home,_ he contemplated, even as he was pulling into the parking lot of IHOP. _I’m probably not going to be too missed, and it’s not like I haven’t disappointed Wright before. Really, just another tick on the list of times I’ve let him down. He probably has a mental list of that, right?_

But no.

He steeled his resolve and walked inside, immediately scanning the nearby tables for any sight of a familiar face, brown eyes that had always looked at him with trust. While there were some brown haired people there, none were his companion to-be.

“Table for two,” he told the waitress that would seat him. “I have a friend coming at about ten. The name’s Dipper Pines, if he asks.”

The waitress smiled and scribbled something down on her pad of paper, then led him to a small table that was away from the other occupied ones. It was presumably to give him some privacy which he could appreciate, but made him wonder if everyone else was thinking this would be more than a casual breakfast.

It would certainly explain Bill’s moodiness, if that were the case.

He ordered a cup of coffee to drink while he waited and perused the vast choices of breakfast plates, finally just deciding that he’d get normal buttermilk pancakes with sausage and scrambled eggs.

When he checked his watch, it was twelve after ten. Poetic justice, if he’d gotten stood up. He sighed and decided to fiddle around on his phone for a little while. If Wright still wasn’t here by eleven, he’d give up and go home.

“-Pines? I am in the right place, right?”

Dipper looked up sharply when he heard his name, relief and nervousness flooding him at the same time.

Wright had barely changed in the time since Dipper had last really looked at him, except he’d gotten taller and filled out more from the scrawny teen he’d used to be. His voice had gotten a little deeper in pitch, and his eyes were full of a warm kind of curiosity, a stark contrast to the illusion Dipper had seen only a week ago.

His heart both softened in a rush of relief and ached because he’d never realized how much he’d actually _missed_ Wright until now, which felt stupid because Bill was _right_ , they’d only ever spoken a few times before; they’d never been _friends_.

It didn’t change how he felt though, and he couldn’t help but stare as the younger teen was lead over to his table. It was only when Wright raised a hand in greeting that he snapped out of his trance-like state and waved back.

“Sorry I’m late,” Wright apologized the moment he sat down. “Traffic was bitchier than I expected.”

Dipper nodded, words lost on him. He raised his coffee mug to his lips and sipped on it while their waitress took Wright’s drink order, then left.

“Still drinking coffee obsessively, I see,” Wright murmured, shaking his head and tutting teasingly. “You know that stuff is going to kill you, right?”

“Shush you,” Dipper chuckled, taking an extra large gulp to spite the younger teen. “Last time I checked, I was still happily alive.”

“For now,” Wright teased. They both laughed, and fell into a companionable silence. The waitress came back with Wright’s drink, and it was only after she took their order and left that he spoke again.

“I’ve gotta admit, I was pretty shocked to hear from you Dipper. What brought this on?”

The brunet sighed, his heart leaping in his chest. Either this breakfast was going to go perfectly, or it would end in one of them storming out. He hoped it was the former.

“Would you believe me if I told you that it was something of the paranormal sort?”

Wright chuckled, setting his mug of tea down. “That’s it?” he asked. “Dipper, the first time I talked to you, you were reading a book over bigfoot and scribbling notes and corrections in the margins. I think I’d be more worried if it _wasn’t_ something supernatural with you.”

“That’s basically the gist of it.” Dipper shrugged. “Some complicated shit happened last week and I felt like I needed to talk to you after it.”

Wright frowned a little, and took a sip of his tea. “That’s pretty vague,” he commented. “‘Some complicated shit’? You’re not in trouble with some kind of weird law or anything, are you?”

“God, no!” Dipper exclaimed. “It has nothing to do with the law or anything, it’s just...kind of embarrassing to admit, actually.”

Wright gave him a small lopsided grin. “I highly doubt it’s more embarrassing than using a fake theory to kiss your crush.”

The statement made Dipper smile fleetingly and he found himself describing everything to Wright while they waited for their food, and then while they ate; the tale of Bill Cipher and the complication of Tad Strange, the mystery of the Seraphine and the woods, and his birthmark.

“So you’re trying to tell me that all these different demons are fighting over the woods?” Wright mused when Dipper finished, studying the brunet with intense brown eyes. “And you’re ‘kinda-sorta’ in a relationship with one, and the other seduced you over tea?”

“Drugged,” Dipper muttered forlornly, picking at his last pancake. “And yeah. Bill and I are...complicated though. He wants a second chance, but I’m not sure I want to let him get so close to me again.”

“It’s certainly understandable,” Wright hummed thoughtfully. He’d already finished his breakfast, and was lounging back in his chair casually. “How long have you known him again? I’m pretty sure his name sounds familiar, and we haven’t spoken since...well, you, know.”

“About seven years,” Dipper supplied, glancing away. “He terrorized me the first summer I stayed in Gravity Falls.”

“Right!” The younger teen snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up in recognition. “Cause the shit with the Beast went down that following Halloween. That was one of our initial bonding points, remember?”

Dipper nodded. He’d been pretty scarred after that summer, and when Wright had moved to Piedmont from his own small town a few years after, rumors had quickly spread thanks to stories from Wright’s younger brother and a general lack of anything else interesting to talk about.

Dipper hadn’t believed it though, until he’d ditched class after lunch one day and spent the following two actually getting to know the younger teen.

“Wasn’t he a triangle?”

He coughed, blushing. “Uhm...yeah. He was, anyway. Got turned into a human though. Not permanently, but yeah.”

Wright grinned in an almost devilish manner, something that took Dipper’s breath away even in the midst of his more than conflicting emotions for Bill.

“You…” he said slowly, his eyes sparking with a fire Dipper might have missed more than anything else, “are fucking a triangle.”

“Am not,” the brunet murmured, glancing away from Wright and blushing.

The younger teen spent a good minute laughing lightly at his embarrassment, then straightened up and sobered as if he’d suddenly remembered something life-changing. “You didn’t really tell me why you wanted to meet today,” he murmured quietly, the atmosphere shifting to a more serious one. “I doubt it was just to catch up either, or unload all your problems on me. Don’t get me wrong; this morning has been great and I’ve loved seeing you again, but...there’s a reason for everything.” It was a clear prompt for Dipper to speak, one that filled him with dread.

“Halloween was last week,” he started in a tone that was barely above a whisper. “And Bill wanted to do a haunted trail.”

He paused and focused a nervous gaze on the younger teen, who met his look with a curiously encouraging one of his own. Dipper sighed, then continued.

“Well, Bill’s a demon and that comes with magic more often than not. He was the one running the trail and by the end of the night, I wanted to do it too. Bill warned me not to; I did anyway. It was a mistake.” He took a shuddering breath, then went on. “I saw – I saw some fucked up stuff. Bill dying was one of them. I was another.”

“You?”

“Yeah.” Dipper hesitated. “I saw you, too.”

Understanding dawned in Wright’s eyes. “Ah,” he murmured with a nod. “What did I do that shook you up this badly?”

Dipper took a sip of coffee, hoping that the oh-so-familiar burst of caffeine would calm him. “It was more of what you said than what you did. It- it doesn’t matter, though. Look, I called you because I- because I wanted to apologize.”

“For…?” Wright questioned, but his own tone had turned hesitant.

“That day,” Dipper whispered. What was _wrong_ with him? He’d been fine in the woods, standing up to Wright had been so _easy_ then; why was it so hard for him to do the same thing now?

 _This is real,_ his subconscious told him soothingly. _Wright is_ here _, he’s tangible. It’s terrifying, and you have no idea how he’s going to react. That was illusion, it had one goal. In reality, there’s a million different ways that this could go and you don’t know which one he’ll pick, and that_ terrifies _you._

“When we kissed,” he went on, finding his voice at last, after nearly a minute of heart-racing silence. “I’m sorry I avoided you. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you. I’m-” He was babbling now much to his mental horror, and he was glad when he was interrupted.

“Dipper,” Wright said gently, reaching across the table to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Things were already going all kinds of wrong when I left your house. I get it. I thought about it all the time though, after,” he added, following a small pause. “Asked myself what I did wrong, cried at night, the usual angsty teen stuff. I started realizing though, the more I watched you and the more desperately I tried to reach out to you, that you were more torn up about it than I was. And so I stopped and let it be.” His gaze was kind, and Dipper was finally able to truly relax.

“When I saw you in the woods, you hated me,” he said quietly. “And it made me realize that I never really _had_ tried to make amends, and I didn’t like it. So I found my twenty seconds of courage and called you.”

The younger teen smiled. “Thank you,” he replied simply. “I won’t lie, I never thought I’d hear from you again. I appreciate that you did this, and that you were so honest with me.”

“Thanks for listening,” Dipper murmured in a sigh, smiling – _really smiling_ for the first time, something that felt beyond wonderful and simultaneously hurt. The weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders as what felt like the last burden he carried vanished, and _finally_ he was free of his past. “You know, and not thinking me crazy and running off the moment I mentioned demons and magic.”

“I learned to expect that kind of thing from you, even after all these years,” Wright explained with a light laugh and a sparkle in his eyes.

The waitress came by then – Dipper suspected that she had somehow _known_ and had been trying to give them privacy – and collected their dishes, and Wright politely requested the bill.

“I’ll pay,” Dipper said automatically the moment she handed it over and left, holding out his hand.

“Forget that,” Wright waved it away. “It’s about thirty-eight bucks, we can split it if you really insist. I don’t want you to have to cover both of our meals.”

“I can agree to that,” Dipper accepted, folding his arms casually and leaning back. “Though, most of the bill is probably my coffee.”

“It’s not, and you know it.”

“Fine,” Dipper finally acquiesced, taking out a twenty. “We pay forty and leave the rest as tip?”

“You’re terrible,” Wright chided lightly. He took out twenty-five and put the five down on the table. “We can’t just tip her two dollars; that’s rude. You know she makes most of her living on tips, right?”

“Slipped my mind,” Dipper explained with a guilty frown. “Sorry.”

They paid for their meal and walked to the parking lot in companionable silence. Dipper wasn’t too sure what to say, and he didn’t think that just a normal goodbye was enough. Fortunately for him, it seemed that Wright more than had that covered.

“It was great to see you again Dipper,” he said cheerfully, stopping by a dark red car. “Think you can actually manage to keep in touch this time?”

He nodded. “I think I can manage.” _So what do I do now? Waving and leaving is too awkward and hugging is too personal and can send mixed signals…_

Wright simply held out a hand, his warm smile never wavering. “See you again?”

“I think I can agree to that too,” Dipper murmured, smiling back as he took the younger teen’s hand.

He stumbled forward as Wright pulled on his hand, tugging him into a light embrace. “Quit worrying about it,” he chuckled into Dipper’s ear, his breath warm against the brunet’s skin. “Even after all this time, you wear your thoughts on your face.” He let go and pulled back, holding a hand up in an unmoving wave.

“See you around Dipper.”

He shook his head quickly and waved back as the younger teen retreated to his car and started it up. “See ya,” he echoed.

_Even after all this time, you wear your thoughts on your face._

Dipper left IHOP with those words echoing in his mind, more at peace with himself than he’d been in a long time and feeling like everything was finally starting to go right.

* * *

 

Bill was lounging on the couch when Dipper got home, idly flipping through channels on the TV.

“Welcome back.” His tone was dry and surly, and it was more than obvious that he was beyond pissed. “Have a good time with your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Dipper defended with a sigh. _Damn, he’s just as pissy as he was earlier. He’s_ really _trying my patience today._ “Bill, this was something that I needed to do; not a date.”

The demon snorted. “Might as well be your boyfriend,” he muttered. “I know you still have feelings for him.”

“I don’t,” he said slowly after a moment’s pause. “And that’s the truth Bill, at least in the sense that you mean. I still see him as a friend, but that’s it. He knows that I-” He cut himself off, blinking rapidly. He’d been about to admit that Wright knew that he was in love with Bill, a fact he wasn’t yet willing to share with the demon.

“Then why did you go see him today?” Bill hissed, turning off the television and sitting up. He glared at Dipper, his eye narrowing dangerously. “You were supposed to be practicing magic with _me_.”

“We practiced just the other day,” Dipper pointed out, rolling his eyes. He shrugged out of his jacket and set it down on the back of the couch. “You told me I was making great progress then. Whatever happened to that?”

Bill stood and faced him, crossing his arms sulkily. “Nothing, but we had this planned for _days_ , and then you blew me off to be with _him._ ”

Dipper paused to consider his words. Was he…? “Are you _jealous_?” he asked incredulously after a moment. “Bill, I just told you that I don’t have feelings for him anymore.”

“I don’t see how the hell you can’t,” the demon snapped, emotion cracking in his voice. “He’s _normal_ , Dipper. You’ve known him for years and you used to _have_ something with him, and- _this is so ridiculous!”_ He closed his eye, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Human sentiments are so _stupid_ and I hate how they make me feel. I _hate_ him though, and I _hate_ that you were with him and not me. So yes, Pine Tree, I’m _jealous_.” He spat the last word as if it were the plague, his cheeks tinging red in what seemed like embarrassment.

“It’s alright,” Dipper murmured, stepping to stand in front of Bill before he could second guess himself. “It’s natural to feel this way, Bill. I won’t apologize for seeing Wright because I feel a _lot_ better after doing so, but I can promise that he’s not taking your place.”

The blond looked away from him, not saying anything for several moments. _Most likely,_ Dipper assumed, _he’s trying to sort through what he’s feeling. He really wasn’t born human after all, and I don’t think he’s ever been jealous before._ Finally, Bill spoke.

“I guess I can accept that,” he murmured begrudgingly. “You should probably spend the rest of the day with me though Pine Tree, if you don’t want me to explode.”

Dipper rolled his eyes at that last statement, positive that the demon was over exaggerating his emotions to conceal possessiveness, but he decided to let it slip for once. _Just once,_ he thought resolutely.

“Fine,” he sighed. “We’ll do what you want for the rest of the day. Where to?”

“Let’s go to the woods,” Bill declared, grabbing Dipper’s hand and dragging him outside before he got the chance to disagree.

“My jacket!” He protested futilely, goosebumps breaking out over his skin as the frigid air hit.

“You’ll warm up soon enough,” Bill replied with a roll of his eye as he let go of the brunet’s hand. “Seriously Dipper, you should be used to this by now.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I’m freezing,” Dipper grumbled, wrapping his arms around himself and rubbing at his shirt in an attempt to warm up the chilled skin underneath.

They walked only a little into the woods today, barely breaching the treeline before finding a spot to practice for the day. The sun hardly shone through the trees though, and the shade made the air even colder.

“You owe me for this,” Dipper declared, reluctantly letting go of his arms. “So what are we doing today?”

Bill hesitated for a moment, then spoke. “It’s occurred to me that you’re human.”

“ _Gee_ , I wonder how you could have come to _that_ conclusion!”

“Shut up. Either way, that means that you can bleed. It means that you can die.” Bill fell silent again, his eye darkening momentarily. “I don’t like that, Pine Tree, and so I’m going to teach you how to heal.”

Dipper’s eyes brightened at the blond’s words. “That sounds pretty cool and all, but can you even heal? You’re a _demon_ , a being of chaos and destruction.”

Bill made a face. “It’s not my favorite thing to do and it’s true that demons don’t have the biggest affinity for it, but I’ve had practice. Either way, you’re learning to heal today.”

Dipper quirked his lips into a small grin. “This isn’t going to be a spell that requires a specific emotion like fire does, is it?”

The demon shook his head. “No, but it is one that will require a lot of concentration,” he cautioned. “It’s not just a simple _Ignis_ , Dipper. Anything can go terribly wrong if you’re not dedicated enough, or even if you say a part of it wrong, so I’m going to teach you the incantation before we attempt this. That sound chill with you?” Dipper nodded once, and Bill copied the motion before continuing. “Okay, repeat after me: _Spiritus invoco rogo te ades, vitam cum corpore fiat omnis potentia ut._ ”

“Uh-” Dipper faltered when Bill recited the incantation, mainly because he’d spoken it so _fast_ and because there really were more words than just ‘ignis’. “Spiritus invoca-”

“Wrong!” Bill snapped, his eye flashing. “It’s _invoco_ , you dunderhead!”

Dipper sighed, rolling his eyes. “ _Spiritus invoco_ ,” he emphasized with a glare. “Uh...rogo something, right?”

“ _Rogo te ades, vitam cum corpore fiat omnis potentia ut,”_ Bill finished with a huff. “Seriously, I think your memory is getting _worse_ , Dipper.”

“You keep saying it too fast!” The brunet defended, crossing his arms and glaring. “How the hell am I supposed to be able to keep up with you at this rate?!”

“Maybe if you were paying more attention instead of getting sidetracked, you’d realize that I was speaking in the same pace I always do,” Bill said slowly, his tone shifting into an infuriatingly calm one. “I didn’t think that teaching you a simple incantation would give me a headache this easily.” He closed his eye for a few minutes and said nothing, breathing in and out deeply. After what seemed like a lifetime had passed, he opened his eye with a nod.

“Right then. Repeat after me: _Spiritus._ ”

 _“Spiritus,”_ Dipper intoned, rolling his eyes. He’d gotten that word the _first_ time. “Bill, this is stupid. If you’d just-”

 _“Invoco,_ ” the demon continued, ignoring him. When Dipper didn’t say it back, he glared. “I _said_ , repeat after me.”

The brunet crossed his arms and huffed when he realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere if he didn’t do exactly as Bill ordered. _“Invoco._ –Insufferable demon,” he muttered under his breath as an afterthought.

“Now pay attention,” Bill commanded. _“Rogo te ades._ ”

“ _Rogo te ades,_ ” Dipper murmured, thankful that at least Bill wasn’t just saying one word anymore.

“ _Vitam cum corpore.”_

 _“Vitam cum…_ cor…pore _?”_

“Corpore,” Bill said with a nod. “It’s not that difficult of a word, Pine Tree.”

 _“Corpore,”_ Dipper repeated slowly, enunciating every syllable to make sure he’d said it right. “Okay then, what was the next part?”

 _“Fiat omnis.”_ Bill pointedly paused for a long moment, then finished the incantation. _“Potentia ut.”_

“Fiat omnis, potentia ut,” Dipper repeated at the same pace, sighing when he finished speaking. “There. Is that it?”

“Say it again.” Bill trained his eyes on the brunet, his gaze serious. “I need to know that you have it memorized in case you ever have to use it.”

“Right.” Dipper took a few deep breaths through his nose, mouthing the words of the healing spell as he did so. When at last he felt like he had it down, he spoke again. _“Spiritus invoco rogo te ades, vitam cum corpore fiat omnis potentia ut.”_

“There you go!” Bill beamed, reaching into his pocket. “Now that that’s done, it’s time to see if you can do it for real!” He held out a hand, palm up, and slashed the object in his other hand down the skin in one swift motion before Dipper could even think to react. Blood welled out from the wound at first, then trickling faster as if it _knew_ it had a way out.

Internally, Dipper panicked.

“Well?” Bill grinned, wiping the blade of what turned out to be a pocketknife on his jeans. “Time’s running, kid. Tick tock!”

“You-” Dipper stuttered in disbelief, grabbing the demon’s injured hand and pressing the sleeve of his shirt against it. “Are you crazy?!” He grimaced at the sudden thought that his shirt would stain, and how upset Mabel would be. It had been a gift from her, last year.

Bill tilted his head, a small smirk playing at his lips. “Do you even want me to grace you with an answer?” he questioned. “And what are you even doing? I did this so you could practice the healing spell.”

“Right.” Dipper fumbled mentally, trying to sort out the first thing to do. He should speak the spell, right? Were the words enough, or was there something more to be done? “Uhm... _Spiritus invoco rogo te ades-”_

“Say it slower!” Bill instructed, straightening and glaring. “If you get even one part of this wrong, I’m dead!”

“Sorry,” Dipper apologized as he pushed his glasses up his nose; they’d slipped down while Bill had been teaching him the spell. “So do I start over, or…?”

“Start over,” Bill confirmed with a nod. “And for chaos’ sake, Pine Tree, say it right and _focus_. A little hand wound like this isn’t going to do any damage.”

Dipper considered lecturing him on how many nerve endings rested in the palm of a human’s hand, but decided that could be done later. He inhaled deeply, nodded once, then let go. The syllables of the incantation passed through his lips easily this time and though he spoke only a smidge slower than he had been, Bill’s eye shone with approval and reverence. The second the last word was said, a warm orange glow lit up around the demon’s hand and his arm, lasting only a few short moments before disappearing.

“Well done,” Bill said softly, using his uninjured hand to grasp the wrist that still held his other hand still. “You did it.”

Dipper took the obvious hint and let go of the demon’s arm, hesitating a moment before taking his shirt away from the spot it’d been covering previously. Bill’s skin was completely healed, not a sign of any kind of damage to the hand to be found. The only evidence that anything had even happened in the first place was Dipper’s shirt sleeve.

“Looks like we’re done for today!” Bill said cheerfully, oblivious to the annoyed glare the brunet shot at him. “Unless you’d like to work for a while longer and practice your elemental magic?”

In the end, Dipper decided that no matter how irked he might have been at Bill’s antics, it would probably still be a good idea to practice. They worked on elemental spells for a while, then on other basic magic, switching between the two until the sun started setting.

“We did good today,” Dipper reflected as they walked back to the mystery shack. “Next time you want to do a practical run of magic that involves blood though, warn me first.”

“Does the sight of it make you squeamish?” Bill teased lightly.

“Yeah, actually,” he mumbled, flushing lightly in embarrassment. “It has for a few years now. Doesn’t always get to me, though. This was just one of those times that it did.”

Bill stopped walking in favor of staring at the brunet intently. “A few years,” he murmured, connecting the dots. “Since the day you tried killing yourself, you mean?”

Dipper flinched at the mention of it, but nodded. “Yeah.”

Neither of them spoke again until they reached the shack, and Bill’s voice was forcefully cheerful when at last he did.

“Why don’t we watch a movie, Dipper? It’s been practically forever since I’ve seen one. I’ll let you pick since you did so well on your magic today.”

The demon retreated ahead into the living room without waiting for an answer, leaving Dipper to grab them some food. He made his way to the kitchen, stopping in the the dining room when he saw the Stans having dinner together.

“Hey,” was all he said, leaning against the doorway. Stanley was the first to react.

“How was your day?” he asked, sitting up straighter.

Dipper shrugged. “Good, I guess,” he replied. “I talked to an old friend from high school and learned how to heal.”

Grunkle Stan’s nose scrunched in distaste. “Kid, I don’t see why you continue to hang around Bill like you do,” he complained. “You’re only stoking his overinflated ego.”

“Don’t pin this all on me,” Dipper shot back with a small smirk. “You two were the ones that wanted me to be close to him in the first place, now you have to live with it.”

“Yes, but that was when we had a deal with him,” Stanley reminded him. “Now that the deal’s complete, there’s no need for you to be friends with him anymore.”

Dipper considered their words, fighting the urge to smile. It was true that he could probably stop associating with Bill, but at what cost? The demon was probably the best friend he’d ever had (excluding Mabel), and they were already too close again for him to just walk away from their friendship.

“You’ve got a point,” he conceded at last, straightening his posture. “But I like him, and that matters more than anything else.” He strode through to the kitchen without waiting for a response.

Grunkle Stan had made some chicken and potatoes for that night, and by habit had already set out two other plates for Dipper and Bill, so all he had to do was prepare them. He did so quickly, making sure to grab some extra meat for Bill. The demon was already waiting for him when he got there, and he’d already picked out a movie by the looks of it.

“You took too long,” he complained when Dipper asked about it.

“So what are we watching then?” Dipper handed Bill his plate of food and settled on the couch beside him, sitting crosslegged.

“A movie about humans trying to survive the zombie apocalypse.” The demon shot him an apologetic glance. “That’s not gonna be squicky for you, will it?”

Dipper shook his head. “It’s just a movie,” he replied, digging into his dinner. “It’s mainly real blood that gets me.”

They fell silent as the movie started, except for the occasional comment from Bill about how unrealistic it was. “You really think that zombies act that way in real life?” He asked, shaking his head pitifully as he tore into his chicken.

“I wouldn’t know,” Dipper said with a roll of his eyes. “The last time I raised zombies, I was twelve. As far as zombie apocalypse movies go, this one doesn’t do so badly. At least it’s not some sappy romance movie about how a zombie becomes human again through the power of love. Now _that’s_ unrealistic.”

“He remembered why life was worth living,” the demon argued, no longer paying attention to the movie. “That’s legit, to you humans.”

“It’s stupid,” Dipper shot back with a grin. “Zombies are mindless, it’s the point of them being what they are. If they had their minds intact, they wouldn’t be cannibals.”

“Vampires are cannibals, and _they_ have their minds.”

“Not the point.”

They bickered back and forth for a while longer, the movie becoming almost background noise. They still watched, sure, but Dipper's mind at least was on their debate of how real zombies acted as compared to how media portrayed them. It was only when Dipper sarcastically mentioned that he could probably raise the dead to prove a point, that Bill acquiesced that he was probably right.

Dipper wasn't stupid enough to keep denying that he was falling for the blond all over again; that fact had been solidified in his head ever since Halloween a week past. He was reluctant to act on those feelings though, something in the back of his mind warning him that it probably wouldn't end well. Bill was a demon after all, and although being human had changed him, the fact of his true nature never would.  

Despite how easily he was able to fall asleep next to Bill that night, the conflicting doubt and emotions he felt waged continuous war within his mind, never coming to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to Friday =) Bet y'all were surprised to see Wright actually show up, weren't you? ^^  
> It hit me, while I was working on this, that we're three chapters away from 28. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this.
> 
> Also, I have nothing against Warm Bodies, I promise ^^


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Saturday, my dear readers =) Update one of two for today, and a very happy birthday to my dear friend Nat, as known as emberglows! <3

To say the least, shopping with Bill Cipher was an experience.

“It’s still a week away though!” the demon complained from his spot in the shopping basket Dipper was pushing down the spice aisle.

“Doesn’t matter,” the brunet reiterated for what felt like the millionth time that morning. “Thanksgiving is considered a major holiday and we’ll be damn lucky to find everything we need. Luckier than lucky, actually, because it means we won’t have to go to Medford.”

Bill shifted and glared up at him. “I still don’t see why I had to come. I was _comfy_ and _asleep_ , and you _woke me up_.”

“Cheer up!” Mabel exclaimed, looking over her shoulder and smiling at them. She was walking a little ways ahead of them with Pacifica, more than excited to get the prep shopping _done_ so that they could get onto the fun part of the day. “After this, we’re going _Christmas shopping!_ ”

“Goody joy,” Bill quipped under his breath, sulking.

“You’re the one that’s always complaining that I don’t spend enough time bonding with you,” Dipper reminded him with a grin, reaching on his tip-toes to grab a small bottle of cinnamon. “And this technically counts.”

“Technically, it doesn’t,” Bill retorted with a small sneer. “Bonding means just you and me.”

“If you really want to get into technicalities, Mabel and Pacifica are ahead of us enough that we’re pretty much doing all of this on our own,” the brunet pointed out, shaking his head a little. “Maybe later I can do something alone with you, but Mabel’s only been back since late last night and I haven’t seen her in person since school started.”

Bill considered his words for the next few minutes as he continued nabbing cooking supplies from the shelves, carefully arranging them in the cart to fit around the demon. Finally, the blond spoke as he shifted to sit crosslegged. “Alright then, I accept your offer. I get to choose the activity and you’re not allowed to say no.”

Dipper’s tone dropped as he replied, well aware that they were in the middle of the already-crowded store. “No sacrificial stuff. No bodily harm, absolutely _nothing_ involving blood or organs, and-”

“Yeesh kid, I get it!” Bill held up both of his hands in surrender, glaring indignantly at Dipper. “I was just gonna demand that you teach me some basic human customs that I never really studied, that’s all.”

For a moment, the brunet considered his words with narrowed eyes. Bill not wanting some kind of chaos and disorder? Unbelievable at best, downright unrealistic at its core.

“Alright,” he murmured after a long pause, giving a small shake of his head. “So long as that’s _it_.” He returned to the task at hand, scanning over the spices in an attempt to find some nutmeg. The normal location of it was completely cleared out, but perhaps some dumbass had stuck a bottle of it in the wrong spot…

Finally, he sighed and gave up the search. _Guess that’s what you get for waiting until the week before like every other idiot in the world._ He unfolded his shopping list and scanned over its contents, trying to figure out what to look for next. It was helpful that Mabel had done the list with the items categorized by which aisle they were in, but what if she left something off that was vital?

“What’s next on the list anyway?” Bill grumbled, straightening and craning his neck to try seeing the list. “And why are we pointlessly stopped in the middle of the aisle? You’re blocking the way of everyone else.”

Dipper looked up and found, to his disdain, that there were indeed more than a couple of old ladies giving him the evil eye. “Sorry,” he apologized, retreating to his basket and quickly pushing it out of the aisle.

“”We need to find a better method for this,” the demon pointed out unhelpfully when Dipper had safely parked them in the area of baby clothing. “Because let me tell you Piney, you suck at this whole grocery shopping thing.”

“Shut up,” Dipper muttered, flushing in embarrassment. “Do you have any idea how stressful this is? I literally have to weave this stupid shopping cart around everyone else and try to find _every single thing_ on this list, you’re being completely useless, I have zero idea where the hell Mabel and Pacifica went, and we’re running out of time!” His voice had risen slightly throughout the rant, and his fists were clenched tightly. “So _yes_ , Bill, I kind of suck at this!”

Instead of saying anything witty or condescending in return like Dipper thought he would, Bill gave him a long look, then sighed and climbed out of the basket.

“Give me that,” he grumbled, snatching the list out of Dipper’s hand. He turned to walk away and got a few steps in, then paused and commanded without looking back, “and stay here!”

So Dipper did, and he thankfully only had to wait a few minutes before Bill was already returning - _shopping was probably too much for him too,_ his mind deduced smugly - with a few items in his arms.

“Look-” Dipper started when Bill got to the basket, but was promptly cut off by the demon wordlessly dumping his armload into the cart and then stalking off again.

The pattern continued on for some time, Bill leaving and returning periodically with things that were supposedly on the list (some he questioned, like the doritos Bill brought back on one trip) and Dipper staying behind to watch over the cart and keep an eye out for the girls. Sadly, by the time Bill seemed to be carrying over the last couple of items, he still had no idea where they went.

“Maybe they went to the front to wait for us,” Bill suggested as he pushed items around in the cart. When it was organized to his satisfaction, he clambered in and settled himself around the groceries like he had been before. “Either way, my ice cream’s melting and I need it.”

“Bill, you don’t need ice cream.”

“Yes I do,” the demon argued, crossing his arms defiantly. “It’s a surprise, though I think it’s close to what you humans call a cobbler?”

 _Cobbler?_ Dipper wondered, choosing not to respond. _Is Bill making one? And why?_

“Either way,” Bill continued with a huff. “We have to hurry up and get this stuff home because there’s more perishables right now than not.”

"You know," Dipper commented with a wry grin. "I never thought I'd see the day that Bill Cipher cared more about the state of his food than he did taking over the world."

"That's in the past," Bill murmured, an echo of a month past. This time though, he elaborated. "I won't lie to you Pine Tree, I used to want it bad. It was all I'd ever known, all I'd ever aspired for and thanks to you and Star, it was in my grasp."

"Sorry?" Dipper tried, a small smile tugging at his lips. He knew Bill would be irked by the note of amusement in his tone, but it wasn't something he could help.  

Strangely enough, the demon didn't comment on it. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he continued hollowly. "My defeat was my own fault; I got cocky and it came back and bit me in the ass."

"What's it worth anyway?" Dipper asked as he pushed the cart into a checkout lane. "Taking over the world? What could you possibly gain from it?"

"What couldn't you?" Bill breathed, his eye alight with wonder. "There's _so_ much to be gained from world domination, and power's closer to the bottom of the list."

"Start putting the groceries up," the brunet instructed, gently setting the bread onto the belt. "And I can't bring myself to agree. What would happen to the planet if you _did_ manage to take over? If it's anything near like the nightmares you used to haunt me with, then I'd rather you were a defenseless little human like me."

Bill laughed quietly and responded in between putting the contents of the basket up onto the register belt. "Typical of you," he teased lightly. "Worried about the planet, rather than yourself."

"I happen to enjoy Earth," Dipper defended.

"Not that that's necessarily a bad thing," the demon remarked. He fell silent then, and Dipper took that as a sign that he was finished talking about the past. Still, he had to ask...

"Why'd you give it up?"

As he'd suspected, Bill didn't answer and they finished putting the groceries up in silence. It was only when he was paying that Pacifica and Mabel _finally_ made their way over to him, their arms laden with various crafting supplies.

"Hey bro!" His twin greeted cheerfully, oblivious to the stifling tension that hung between him and Bill. "I see you finished shopping!"

He snorted. "I see you went off on your own again," he remarked with a small roll of his eyes. The cashier handed him his receipt, and he rolled the cart to the end of the register and 'parked' it. "Mabel, you don't need all that."

"Yes she does," Pacifica cut in, setting her armful down on the register. "It's for school. If you went, you'd know that there's a such thing as homework over the holidays. _Especially_ this close to finals week."

Dipper grimaced. "All the better that I'm not going," he muttered. "Seriously Mabes, how do you do it?"

"I have a fun major," she responded with a shrug and bright smile. "So most of the homework I'm assigned is just made up of things I'd be doing anyway."

Bill, who had remained silent until then, piped up. "Just hurry up Star, my ice cream's melting."

"Why does he get to sit in the basket anyway?" Pacifica questioned, raising an eyebrow derisively. "He's taking up a lot of space."

"Just don't question his whims," Dipper mumbled with a small sigh. "That's what I've learned over the past couple of months; don't question the demon and everything remains okay."

"Sounds like you're getting along again," the blonde heiress observed quietly. Dipper was the only one that heard; Mabel was chatting with the cashier and Bill was fiddling with the brunet's phone.

"It's been rough," he replied under his breath. "But getting better."

"I'm glad," Pacifica said, smiling. "I never said this before because I was on an oath of silence, but you guys complete each other."

Mabel paid for her groceries before he had the chance to deny Paz's words and they made their way out to the parking lot cheerfully, the girls chattering with Bill, and Dipper keeping a smile on his face even though it was nearly the exact opposite of what he felt.  

He was lost in Pacifica's words, the meaning behind them echoing things Bill had said over the past couple of months. He had fallen again, that much he knew. Did Bill? Was a relationship with the demon seriously something he was considering, amidst the looming threat of Seraphine and complication of Tad?

 _You guys complete each other._ He wanted to scoff at those words, to deny them even though he knew that there had to be an air of truth to them. He'd heard it so many times, had even _thought_ it once or twice in the comfort of his own room, earlier that summer.

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind for later. For now, they had to get the groceries home so they could go Christmas shopping after.

* * *

 

"You guys go on ahead," Mabel called out to Pacifica and Bill cheerfully as she zipped up her jacket. "I was meaning to catch up with Dipper anyway."

Pacifica only gave a short nod to show that she understood, then dragged Bill into the closest store – a sporting goods one, at that. Dipper could hardly suppress a snort at the idea of Bill doing something as trivial as throwing a football.

"You should put your hood up," he chided gently, brushing snowflakes off of his sister's shoulders. "You'll catch a cold."

It had begun snowing shortly after they'd gotten back to the house with the groceries earlier, and Mabel's puppy eyes were the only thing that convinced him to take them to the mall. Why she had to choose the outdoor one three cities away from Gravity Falls was beyond him though. For the life of him, he hoped that they'd be able to get back home before the streets got too bad.

"I'll be fine." Mabel waved off his concerns with ease with a playful roll of her eyes. "Come on, let’s duck in here and get some cocoa or something; I really have been meaning to talk to you."

Dipper followed her into a small - albeit warm - café, grateful for the reprieve from the snow. He enjoyed it well enough after it had already fallen, but he had no desire to be around the stuff while it was in the process of falling. Unfortunately for him, Bill had decided that he adored it.

"Go find us someplace to sit and I'll grab our drinks," Mabel instructed, looking over her shoulder to smile at him.

He nodded and did so, choosing a table next to a warm electric fireplace that had a perfect view of the outside. Mabel took only a few minutes to get the drinks, the service fast even though the place was rapidly getting fuller as more people sought shelter from the snow.

"You wanted coffee, right?" Mabel asked as she approached the table with their drinks. "Cause I got you some, but you can have some of my cocoa if you want."

"The coffee's fine," he murmured with a smile, taking the cup from his sister. "So how's school been?"

"It's been fine." She fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "Dipper, I really do want to catch up with you and school's such a trivial thing...."

He straightened, his eyes flashing. "Mabel. School is fine, right? You'd tell me if something was wrong? It's not something Paz did, is it? You're not being bullied, are you? Is it-"

"Dipper!" his twin barked snapping her fingers. "I'm fine, really! This isn't even about me. It's...it's about you," she mumbled, her voice faltering by the end of the last statement. "I asked Paz to distract Bill so I could get you alone because I've been wanting to talk to you."

"Oh." Dipper swallowed, then picked up his cup and took a large sip of coffee.

"By talk, I mean really talk," she continued. "We haven't done that in years, and you can't lie and try to tell me that we have. You've kept things from me and I've kept things from you, and they're things we should talk about because it's made us grow apart."

Dipper forced out a chuckle, his stomach plummeting. "Mabel, that's supposed to happen," he dismissed. "We're supposed to keep things from each other, like the details of our relationships and-"

"That's not what I'm talking about," Mabel cut in. "Well, I lied. It is, to an extent, but what I want to talk about is what's happened the last few years that neither of us have brought up even though we should have. So spill."

"...About?" he finally asked weakly after a long pause. "I hardly think that now-"

"Please?" Mabel hesitated for a moment. "Look, I know things can't have been easy for you the last few years. There was the pressure of high school and then Lacy happened, and then something else changed one day when I wasn't home and you'd holed yourself up in your room when I finally did get home and you missed dinner, and dad was upset...." She paused again, seeing the shifting emotions crossing over his face.

"Why-" Dipper swallowed again. "Why are you bringing this up?" he mumbled, looking down at the surface of the table. "I-Mabel, you know-"

His twin stayed silent for several moments, though she at least acted like she regretted saying anything. Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry. I am. But I still don't know what happened and if we were twelve, you would have told me. I miss that closeness."

"So you had to ask here?" Dipper snapped quietly, his eyes narrowing. "You even had to ask in the first place? Mabel, I didn't want you to know!"

"Why not?" she demanded in kind, her eyes growing watery. "Dipper, you promised me that we'd never have as bad of a relationship as siblings always end up having, but you're breaking that promise by shutting me out!"

"And you're breaking that promise by demanding that I talk to you about this!" Dipper kept his voice low, mindful that they were in public.

His twin shrank in her seat, guiltily averting her gaze. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Maybe this really was a bad idea, but Dipper....I worry about you. And it's not knowing things like what's been going on in your life the last few years that worries me the most."

"You-" he cut himself off and took a slow sip of his coffee, then set the cup down on the table. "You know what my life's been like Mabes, you were there."

"Was I though?" Mabel asked in a small voice. "I only know bits and pieces of everything, and the rest was practically taboo. You've been the most open I've ever seen you this summer and I was so happy because we were making progress, and then you found out about the whole Will-Bill thing and shut everyone out again. Even though you're friends again, you're still always on guard, still hiding things. That's why I'm so worried."

Dipper sighed, giving in. A large part of him still didn’t want to tell her, and the rest wanted her to understand, wanted to confide in _someone_ about the mess his life had become all over again. “Fine,” he finally murmured after what seemed like forever, guilt finally forcing his hand. “If you really want to get into this, we’re gonna get into it.”

He took a deep breath and picked up his coffee cup once more, cradling it securely in his hands. If he was really about to do this - and it seemed he was - he’d be needing the daytime version of liquid courage.

He started by talking about Lacy, slipping into memories of happier days; days when his father would have been more than happy to extend his curfew, days when his life was at its prime.

Mabel listened attentively throughout, only cutting in every once in a while to ask a question, in turn allowing him to breathe and drink some coffee.

From Lacy, he went on to tell Mabel about the rest of his high school experience, the reason for his sudden solidarity and the emotions he’d tried so desperately to ignore, and finally, Wright.

“You probably knew him,” he told her. “Good at English, younger brother was in pep band and choir…”

Uncomfortable as it made him, as much as he hated rehashing the past again, he even told her about what happened _that night_ , though his tone dipped so low that he wasn’t sure she could even hear him.

Mabel looked away from him when he finally finished, though he still caught the tears that had begun to form. “Are you willing to accept hugs right now?” she asked, her voice trembling. She sniffled. “Dipper, I- I’m so s- _sorry_ that happened to you. A-And I was _there_ and I had _no idea,_  a-and-”

“It’s fine,” he soothed gently, taking a napkin from the center of the table and holding it out to her. “Maybe I’ll accept a hug later. I’m over it all anyway, the past is in the past. You were right though, it was high time I finally confided in you.”

Mabel took the offered napkin and wiped at her eyes, sniffling every so often. When she seemed satisfied, she finally looked at him again. “So...what about now?” she asked hesitantly. “I’m glad that you made up with Wright and I’m still so _sorry_ that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but...something’s still off. I didn’t want to say anything last night, but you’re acting different.”

 _You sure you want to do this?_ his conscience, choosing to sound like the indigo demon ironically enough, questioned.

Dipper hesitated. He _wasn’t_ sure, and if he told Mabel, he ran the risk of her telling Bill. For obvious reasons, that couldn’t happen.

“How much do you know about Tad Strange?” he finally asked.

* * *

 

It was well after one when Dipper and Mabel finally left the cafe, still snowing as heavily as it had been when they’d gotten there. It seemed, from a quick glance around, that the roads were relatively clear though, so at least there was that.

“Do you happen to know where Pacifica dragged Bill off to?” he asked his twin curiously.

Mabel shrugged. “She said something about one of their mutual favorite clothing outlets, but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me.”

"Wonderful," he muttered sardonically.

"Brighten up!" she exclaimed, attempting a smile. The brightness of it didn’t reach her eyes though, confirming everything that Dipper had always worried about. The truth, to an extent, had broken her.

"We can do our own shopping for a while," he finally said, looking around at all of the shops around them. "I guess. Uhm.....do you have any idea what to get for either of the Stans?"

Mabel's nose crinkled in thought. "Something paranormal for Grandpa Stanley for sure..." she murmured. "Uh....I don't know, actually. Have they always been this hard to shop for?"

Dipper sighed. "I think it gets harder, the older you get," he admitted. He ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the sting of cold snowflakes melting on his skin. "Should we just opt to get them gift cards so they can get themselves something they actually want?"

Mabel shook her head, half-frowning. "I was just going to make them something, but now I don't know if that's such a good idea. What if they won't like it?"

"It's the thought that counts?" Dipper offered. He didn't want Mabel to have to worry about it too much; she'd always handmade everyone's gifts for the most part, and he didn't want her to start feeling like that wasn't good enough or something. "Maybe make them a blanket or something? Everyone likes a good blanket."

"Maybe..." she said thoughtfully, the thought trailing off. "Do you think we should split up? I don't want to run into your gift while I'm with you, and I'm sure you don't want me knowing what you're getting me either."

Dipper hesitated for a moment. "Call me if you need _anything_ ," he said finally. "I mean it, too. And try getting ahold of Pacifica and see if you can't find out where she and Bill went."

With her promise and affirmation that yes, she would call, and that she would text Paz, he wandered further into the abyss that was the outlet mall.  

Finally, after a few minutes of wandering around aimlessly, he came to a conclusion. "I really hate present shopping," he muttered under his breath. He made up his mind though and walked into some high-end clothing store that looked to be right up Pacifica's alley.

"What do you get the girl that literally has _everything?"_ he wondered as he browsed through the racks. Nothing looked anywhere near appealing in his eyes, and he'd spent enough time around the blonde heiress to know enough of what she typically seemed to like.

Almost as if sensing his distress, a peppy sales associate decked out in a plaid Santa hat approached him. "Hi there! Is there anything I can help you out with today? Something for your girlfriend perhaps?"

A wry, amused grin curled on Dipper's lips. Of _course_ it'd be assumed that he was shopping for his _girlfriend_ , especially given that he was there by himself. "My sister in law, actually," he murmured, turning to face the young woman. It was a stretch from the truth, but Pacifica may as well have been his actual in-law, what with her closeness and devotion to Mabel. "She's pretty wealthy though and has just about anything a person could ask for, so I'm kind of stumped."

The woman – Angelina, her name tag read – hummed and nodded thoughtfully. "I can see why you're having trouble," she said sympathetically. "You've come to the right place though, Convergies has just about everything a girl could possibly ask for. You wouldn't happen to already know her clothing sizes, would you?"

"Uhm...no," he admitted sheepishly, blushing lightly. It was stupid of him to think about buying clothes for Paz without at least asking Mabel for her sizes. "I could probably text my sister though; they're best friends."

Angelina waved off his suggestion, smiling brightly. "I have a better idea," she said conspiratorially, grabbing his wrist and leading him through the store. He opened his mouth to make a protest about how it was probably against her job to do that, but closed it after a moment. If it got him a present for Pacifica, he could deal.

Finally, Angelina stopped in front of the perfumes. "These," she started, gesturing to the many fancy – and expensive, Dipper noted – bottles, "are the newest fragrances from the top designers all over the world. If there's one thing a girl loves, it's perfume!"

 _Would Paz really want one of these though?_ Dipper asked himself as he examined the shelf before him. The heiress had toned down on her materialistic lifestyle a lot since they were kids, but he also knew that she still adored shops like these, which made his choice all the more difficult.  

Come to think of it, Bill loved the luxurious, expensive lifestyle too.

He couldn't help but sigh in despair and lament the fact that both he and his twin had fallen for upper class people. His eyes scanned over the many perfumes and colognes, and it took almost everything he had not to snort at some of the more ridiculous names for them. Black on Black? Why the hell would someone think it'd be attractive to name a perfume that, even if it was in French?

He finally settled on a small bottle of one called _La Vie Est Belle_ without sampling it first. What was attractive to him might not be in Pacifica's range of tastes, and this way they could both be – hopefully – pleasantly surprised.

"Thank you for shopping with us! Have a Merry Christmas!" Angelina called after him on his way out.

He simply raised a hand in adieu, the realization of what had just happened fully hitting him. It wasn't the worst thing that he'd found a present for Pacifica, he supposed, but it was kind of freaky how quickly he'd been pulled into making a purchase.

 _I'll need to be more careful_ , he vowed as he walked through the mall in search of either his companions, or another shop. The snow had lightened slightly and it was starting to impact the roads, but not too badly to be a bad situation. Yet.

The next store he found himself in was a quaint little antique shop that had an air of mystery about it, and he supposed that this was where he’d likely find his gift for Stanley - and maybe even Bill.

The demon had wandered to the forefront of his thoughts like he somehow always did, plaguing Dipper with the eternal question of what he’d get for the blond. Bill was a _demon_ , what the hell was Dipper supposed to give him? There was little he _needed_ , he could just poof it into existence from the mindscape most likely, and there was no chance in hell that Dipper would ever actually get him something that he actually wanted. World domination was not on the shopping list, after all.

Still.....what to get?

Unlike the last store, there was no peppy salesperson ready to help Dipper out, and in a glance around, it seemed like there wasn't anyone there at _all_. Suddenly, he stopped feeling so confident about the place and wondered if it was a good idea to be in there.

 _Maybe I can just leave..._ He thought hopefully, inching back towards the door. When he pulled on the door handle though, it wouldn't budge. He tried again in a panic, accidentally knocking over a lamp that was sitting on a table in his haste.

"Hello?" A feminine, warbling voice called from out of nowhere, and Dipper turned to see an elderly woman in a wheelchair rolling out from a room in the back that he hadn't noticed before.  

"H-Hi," he stuttered back, his voice trembling even as relief filled his body. Someone _was_ here and it was just a harmless little old lady.

Her eyes brightened visibly when she saw him, and she broke into a smile. "A patron! It's been _so long_ since I've had one! How are you today, young lad?"

 _See, nothing to worry about_ , his mind reassured him, even as he overanalyzed the statement " _it's been so long"_.  

"Fine," he squeaked out, then mentally chastised himself for being so ridiculous and cleared his throat. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"You've made me _so happy_ ," the lady went on, almost as if she hadn't heard. "How can I assist you today?"

"Uh..." Dipper looked around and realized that he was _not_ in an antique shop as he'd first surmised; he seemed to be in one specializing in the paranormal. This was getting way too weird for his liking. "I was just trying to find a Christmas gift for my grandfather, but I guess I stumbled into the wrong place...."

"My dear, this shop knows the heart's desires," the woman tutted, her eyes flashing in vexation. "Surely you're mistaken. Have a look around, see if anything captures your interests."

He swallowed nervously and nodded. "O-okay then."

Cautiously, he stepped forward and wandered further into the store. There were shelves upon shelves of paranormal and spiritual items alike, candles for rituals having an entire shelf set to itself. As the seconds passed, he grew more and more interested in his surroundings until finally the last of his worries ebbed away.

 _This is a pretty cool place actually,_ he admitted to himself, walking to the corner of the store that held the literature. Dream journals, grimoires, spell scrolls and books alike were all there, whispering, beckoning for him to indulge.

"The Grimoire of Lady Sheba!" he gasped, picking up the tome. He almost dropped it though, when he saw the one it was next to. " _And_ the Lesser Key of Solomon?!"

He felt a sharp pang in the back of his mind then, and winced. Of all the times for a headache to spawn out of nowhere, this had to be one of the worst. He held a hand up to his forehead, willing for the pain to leave, but it persisted.

 _Just ignore it then_ , his subconscious coaxed, and he found himself returning to the task at hand. He reluctantly placed the books back on the shelf, and continued on, making a mental note to go back there later.

He began to wander around more slowly now, taking in everything the shop had to offer. Herbs of all kinds littered the shelves against the wall, accompanied by various accents - jars and bowls for brewing tonics, an occasional complete kit for a specific recipe. Despite the focus on curios relating most specifically to magic, there were artifacts that claimed to be of paranormal origins mixed among other home decoration pieces.

All in all, a typical haven for sorcery clever enough to trick anyone who didn’t know any better, and the perfect place to nab a good gift for Stanley. He made his way back over to the books, intent on nabbing the Lesser Key of Solomon. Stanley had read it of course, but just reading it and actually _owning_ it were two very different things.

It was when he was making his way up to what he presumed to be the front counter that he spotted the Banishing tools; specific sets of herbs and candles, scrolls depicting the incantations and results, and even the ‘right’ salts to use. He walked up to the shelf as if in a trance, anger and enmity coiling low within him.

“Ah, the true heart’s desire,” the shop owner crooned, wheeling up beside him. “Tell me dear boy, are you being haunted by demons?”

“One,” Dipper muttered, his eyes narrowing. His vision tinted an almost red color and the pain he’d felt earlier in the back of his head reared up again, almost as if in a panic. _Bill_ , he whispered soundlessly and something inside of him snapped.

“Now now dear boy, calm down,” the elderly lady instructed.

The burning hatred that had built up to a deafening roar ebbed into a low hum, and suddenly Dipper’s mind was mostly clear again. He looked down and saw that his knuckles were white from how hard he’d clenched his fists, and he uncurled his fingers to find deep nail imprints on his palms.

“I can sell it to you if you’d like,” the shop owner continued on, as if everything was perfectly normal. “Tell me, what’s the name of your demon?”

Blinding pain tore through his mind the moment before he was about to speak the demon’s name out loud and he let out a small cry of pain, stumbling backwards a few steps as he clutched at his head.

Understanding crashed over him – _what the hell was going on?_ \- and suddenly the headache was gone, replaced by a clarity he hadn't known he'd lost.

 _Oh god,_ he thought as he stared at the Banishing kit in horror. He'd been about to say Bill's name, he'd been contemplating _banishing_ him.

"I-I have to go," he stuttered, dropping the _Lesser Key of Solomon_ and fleeing out the door, where he immediately ran into a familiar blond.

“Where the hell have you been?” Bill snarled, his pupil completely red, circled by a thin strip of cerulean. “Do you have any idea how-” He broke off then, really noticing the shop Dipper had just stepped out of and his eye widened, the red fading away.

“We have to get out of here,” he snapped, grabbing Dipper by the arm and tugging him out onto the road. “What the hell were you thinking, going into a place like that? Do you have any idea how much I was trying to get ahold of you? Why didn’t you answer me?!”

“I- you were?”

“Yes!” Bill hissed, expression twisting in fury. “I even tried your _mind_ , and I haven’t done that for _months_. Now answer the question, why the _hell_ did you go in there?”

“I-gift. For Stanley,” Dipper stuttered, trying and failing to yank his arm out of the demon’s grasp. He stumbled over a few steps in consequence, fumbling with his own questions. “Bill, wha- what’s going on? What happened back there? Why-?”

“Just shut up,” Bill snarled quietly. “ _Not here_.”

Dipper fell silent and allowed himself to be lead to who knew where, resisting the urge to call out when he caught sight of familiar blonde hair accompanied by flowing brunette.

He found though, that keeping silent was a lot harder to do than it was to swear to. Tension wrought his muscles and nerves made his stomach queasier than blood ever had. Finally, he couldn’t help himself any longer.

“Bill?” he asked desperately, increasingly perturbed by the fact that the demon hadn’t yet responded. “What _happened_ back there? What was that?”

Finally, when they were back in the sanctuary of the parking lot, Bill stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the brunet. His gaze was solemn, any amount of holiday cheer long gone. Fury shone in his eye, though it battled with heart-wrenching worry.

“Not what,” he said quietly, his voice so low that Dipper had to strain his ears to hear. “Who.”

“That was Seraphine.”


	27. Chapter 27

When Thanksgiving finally arrived, it was with a bit more excitement and near-fires than anyone needed, but it was worth it. Bill had declared the kitchen his for the day and Pacifica had sent her personal butler in after him at the first sign of anything going wrong. Mabel had turned on some festive holiday music, much to Grunkle Stan’s exasperation, and the bickering from the kitchen could occasionally be heard over it. Dipper had situated himself in the large armchair in the living room with his laptop, more than content to write while he socialized. A football game was playing on the television at a low volume, which the Stans were aptly watching and betting over. Pacifica had had the same idea as Dipper and was taking the morning time to work on what she said was a ‘business deal’ for her parents. Mabel, as constantly as she was in motion, had taken the initiative to slow down and was contently knitting a bright green sweater.

So all in all, the morning was peaceful.

Time was slow to pass and though it was productive for Dipper, he couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. What, though? He had his family all with him, and he sure as heck wasn’t forgetting anything important… A loud clatter sounded from the kitchen and he winced.

Bill. He didn’t feel right because Bill wasn’t with them, joining in on the festivities.

_Ah, the woes of love,_ he thought with as sigh as he stood and set his computer down on the table beside the armchair. _I guess I’ll go try to check on him again, see if he wants some company._ He walked over the kitchen and pushed the door open slowly, unsure of what he’d find.

Bill was standing with eye closed and his back to the slightly open oven, looking positively miserable. There was a pan lying facedown on the ground, black goop splattered everywhere.

Dipper winced at the mess, then shook his head and forced a bright smile even though he would’ve much rather shared in Bill’s misery. “Need any help?”

Bill’s eye shot open at the sound of his voice, alight with indignation. “No!” he spat, clenching his fists. “I do not need any help Pine Tree, and especially not from _you_.”

That stung. _What the fuck’s his problem?_ Dipper wondered, the smile slipping from his lips. _I mean, yeah I get that he dropped whatever it was he was making and that’s bound to upset_ anyone _, but why is he targeting me specifically?_

Nonetheless, he tried again. “Are you sure? You’re doing this all on your own, and nobo-”

“What part of no do you _not_ understand?” Bill hissed, striding forward until they were face to face and Dipper could see the conflicting emotions swirling in the demon’s cerulean eye. “Perhaps I can _teach_ you, if you need the lesson.”

“I’m good, thanks anyway,” he told the blond, determined to hold his ground. Despite Bill’s sudden turn to hating him - probably something to do with his disorder - he was firm in his decision to make things easier on the demon.  “I want to help you.”

Bill closed his eye for a moment. “And I want you to leave me _alone_ ,” he bit out, his voice cracking on the last word. He sounded near tears, and Dipper vaguely wondered if he was really about to cry over this.

He stared at the elder teen for a minute, trying to gauge what was going on in his mind. Why was Bill being so stubborn about getting any help? It wasn’t like anyone was forcing him to make the dinner by himself, and-

Suddenly, it clicked. “You know you don’t need to prove anything to me, right Bill?” he asked slowly, placing a hand on the demon’s shoulder. “Or anyone else here? You don’t need to do this by yourself.”

“Everything was supposed to be perfect,” Bill mumbled, his words losing their bite as he relaxed under the brunet’s touch. “I-”

“- _don’t_ need to do this by yourself,” Dipper finished for him, giving a small, encouraging smile. “How about we finish dinner together? Like making pancakes, only a bit different?”

Slowly, Bill’s eye opened. “Like pancakes,” he echoed, smiling back hesitantly. “Except, you’re going to be actually doing useful things for once.”

“Right,” Dipper agreed, taking his hand off of Cipher’s shoulder and stepping back. “What were you working on anyway?”

Bill turned to regard his mess, his hands moving to his hips. Dipper knew him well enough to know that there was a displeased expression on his face. “I _was_ working on dessert,” he finally sighed, his shoulders slumping. “But I overexerted my magic, and it dropped before it could ever make it to the oven.”

“Dessert? So dinner’s done then?” Dipper asked as he stepped forward to inspect the black goop. “And uh...what was this, exactly?”

“Dessert,” Bill stated through gritted teeth. “Yes, dinner is done. Which would notice if you simply looked around, you stupid meatsack.”

He did as the demon told him to and glanced around the room. Sure enough, the turkey was resting on the counter behind the stove and various pots and pans and bowls were scattered throughout the room, filled to the brim with food.

His eyes softened. “Bill, you really didn’t have to do all this for us,” he murmured softly, though the thought flitted through his mind that perhaps the demon was using food as a method to off them all.

“It was supposed to be perfect,” the demon reiterated. The waver in his voice dispelled the thought that he could be attempting murder, replacing it with sympathy.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized empathetically. “Do you remember the recipe? We can do it again, and this time it’ll work out perfectly.”

“It’s not remembering the recipe that’s the problem here,” Bill mumbled. “The issue is that I don’t think I have enough of the ingredients anymore to be able to make more, and these aren’t supplies you could find just anywhere.”

“Uhm….I’m sorry to ask-” _Again,_ his mind supplied scathingly. “-but _what_ were you trying to make? I- I know it was dessert and stuff, but it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen.”

Bill mumbled something under his breath and when it became apparent that Dipper hadn’t caught it, the demon sighed in exasperation and repeated it. “It was something from home, that’s all. I used to make it for my friends, back when times were simpler and the occasion actually presented itself.”

“Home?” the brunet questioned, his eyes lighting up at the thought of what was hopefully both an interesting subject _and_ a good distraction for Bill. “Like- home from when you were actually alive, or home as in…?”

“The mindscape,” the demon confirmed, a slightly manic glint materializing in his eye. “I used to have the _best_ parties, and demons of the highest rank would come from all around to be there! It’s how Tad and I met, you know,” he added, his tone becoming slightly darker. “He thought that he could take over _my_ party in _my_ territory, but I showed him! _Nobody_ messes with Bill Cipher.”

“So demons _do_ eat?” Dipper asked excitedly. “And you guys make desserts too? Like what?”

Bill grinned devilishly. “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know?” he purred, stepping forward. Before Dipper knew what was happening, Bill’s hand was pulling his forward, curling them into one another.

“M-maybe I wouldn’t then.” He coughed awkwardly, though he didn’t take any measure to move his hand just yet _._ “Maybe we should just make a normal human dessert together than? Something that…” he hesitated, mentally trying to calculate just how much Bill would read into his next move. “Something that just the two of us can have. Nobody else.”

It was the right thing to say apparently, because the sadistic grin was replaced with an ecstatic one that lit up Bill’s whole face. “Yes,” the demon breathed. “Something for just the both of us.”

“Right,” Dipper murmured with a nod, finally letting go of Bill’s hand and stepping away. “So, I was thinking of something of the cake variety. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I didn’t study human holidays, remember Pine Tree?” Bill mocked in what seemed like it should be anger, but was really more along the lines of amusement. “I don’t suppose you’d actually be useful enough to teach _me_ something for once?”

Dipper opened his mouth to question what Bill had spent the past week reading, if not for the cookbooks he could have sworn he’d seen, but decided against it in the last second.

“Hmm…” the brunet hummed thoughtfully, his eyes lighting up. There was _one_ recipe his mom had taught him a few years ago that they could make, something that they could share together in his room over a margarita or whatever else Bill wanted to make. “I think I know of one thing we can do together. It’ll take a great deal of focus from you though. I know it by heart, but you don’t and it’ll end up a mess if even one thing goes wrong.” The words were mostly a lie, but what Bill decided not to know couldn’t hurt him.

“Fine,” Bill huffed, toning down his perkiness some. “What do we need?”

Dipper gave him a small smile. “Right. First things first, can you close the oven and get me a nine by thirteen cookie sheet?”

Bill scowled as he shut the oven, and Dipper mentally vowed to clean up the demon’s original attempt at dessert while they waited for the cake to bake. It was amusing to watch Bill try to sort through the various baking supplies the Pines family had accumulated throughout the years, likely not knowing what size was the proper one. In a way, Dipper almost found it endearing.

“That’s the right one,” he stated with an encouraging smile when Bill held up the right one. “You know how to grease it up, right?”

“The demon huffed. “I’m not _stupid_ , Pine Tree.”

“I didn’t say that you were,” Dipper told him gently. “I just wanted to be sure.” He stepped around the spilt goop on the floor and headed for the pantry. “Can you also grab me a large mixing bowl?” A grumble sounded from Bill’s end, and Dipper smiled.

He grabbed the flour and sugar from the pantry and walked back over to set them down on the counter, then went back to the pantry to retrieve the rest of the materials he’d be needing.

“I also need the measuring cups,” he called over his shoulder. The last items to be grabbed was a can of pumpkin puree, baking soda, and a small container of pumpkin pie spice.

“Now,” he instructed the second he made it over to a free space of counter with all the ingredients. “Can you measure out ¾ a cup of flour for me?” he asked Bill with a bright smile.

An eyebrow raised and the demon scowled, but he complied. “It seems like you’re making me do all the work,” he whined.

“I’m not,” Dipper said hastily, crossing the room to grab a carton of eggs from the fridge. “How are you supposed to learn the recipe if you don’t do some of the work that goes into it?”

“I guess I can see your point,” Bill grumbled, pouring the flour into the bowl without being instructed to. “What else needs to go in here?”

“A cup of sugar,” Dipper replied, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he cracked an egg on the side of the counter, then let it fall on top of the flour. After he threw the eggshell away, he picked up the can of pumpkin puree and went over to the can opener to take care of it so it could be stirred in with the rest of the ingredients that were needed at the moment.

The two worked in silence for awhile, until Dipper started cheerfully humming some Christmas carols, reminiscent of the ones Mabel had playing in the living room. Bill didn't join in, though the brunet could tell that it was more from confusion than not being in the mood.

“Do you not know the song?” he finally questioned lightly as he stuck the near-finished pumpkin roll in the oven.

“That,” Bill murmured begrudgingly, “along with the fact that you’re singing a bunch of songs about a god that doesn’t exist.”

Dipper blinked. “I’d ask how you know that, but you’re omnipotent. Huh. Okay then, but the songs are still fun to sing...are you sure that you don’t want to learn?”

“I never said that,” Bill snapped, crossing his arms. “Teach me then, if you’re so insistent about it.”

Dipper chuckled, going over to the sink and wetting a rag with hot water. “Help me clean, and I’ll teach you while we clean up your mess.”

“Fine,” Bill huffed, leaning down and picking up the pan they’d been stepping around the entire time. The rest of the failed dessert fell onto the floor and Bill snarled.

Dipper couldn’t help but chuckle at the demon’s despair. It really had been kind of him to want to make such a special dessert for the family, and it almost didn’t seem fair that the attempt had gone awry. He set the rag down on a spare piece of ground that was actually clean and scooped up most of the goop with his bare hands and carried it over to the trash can.

“Maybe we can make this next year instead,” he told Bill cheerfully.

He turned to see that the demon was staring at him with a look akin to shock on his face. The full weight of his own words hit him a moment later, and he couldn’t help but gape in astonishment.

He’d implied that there would _be_ a next year for them, that there was a chance that Bill would still be around and that they would still be friends...or even something more.

A moment later, he smiled. Yes, there _would_ be a next year, if he had anything to say on the matter.

“Well?” he murmured teasingly as he dropped down to his knees and picked up the hot rag. “What do you say? This floor isn’t going to clean itself.”

“We could just use my magic for this,” Bill pointed out with an annoyed expression on his face.

Dipper considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “Nah,” he murmured, beginning to scrub at the mostly dried goop with the rag. “I prefer the honest hard work that come by doing things by hand. If you’re not gonna help, get started on covering the finished food and taking it out to the dining room. And get the finished desserts put in the fridge so they have some time to cool.”

“Yes master,” the demon mocked scathingly, though Dipper noticed a few minutes later as he cleaned off Bill’s messed up dessert that he was doing as he was told.

Dipper couldn’t help but smile as he finished up what he was doing and washed his hands, then got back to work on the pumpkin roll. The timer had gone off and the oven shut off automatically a few minutes ago in sync, and it was time for the next part of the recipe - well, it would be as soon as the cake cooled.

For the time being though, he set the roll onto a cooling rack and continued cleaning up around the kitchen, humming Christmas carols as he went. Bill joined him a few minutes later, getting started on washing the dishes. The demon stared at him on occasion with a bemused expression on his face and for some reason, it only made Dipper even happier.

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly~” he sang cheerfully in a baritone, swaying his hips to an unheard beat. “Sing it with me Bill!”

“I’ll have you know that holly is actually something that-”

“Fa lalalala la lalala,” Dipper sang over him, doing a small twirl. “Tis the season to be jolly!”

“Humans are so weird,” Bill muttered with a roll of his eyes. “Lemme guess - the next lyrics begin with a _fa_ and end with a _la_ , right?”

“Yup!” he told the demon brightly. “You sure you don’t know this song?”

“It’s slowly coming back to me,” Bill replied dryly.

Dipper laughed and continued to sing merrily, finishing up his current project and moving on to gathering the ingredients for the icing to go into the pumpkin roll. Bill wiped his hands on a dry towel, then joined him in his endeavours.

They finished up the pumpkin roll in under half an hour, Dipper still humming various Christmas carols. Eventually after being silent for so long, Bill attempted to follow along in humming himself, filling the kitchen with an almost cheerful sound.

When the roll was gingerly placed in the very back of the fridge so nobody would touch it, Bill and Dipper walked into the living room hand in hand and announced that dinner was officially finished and waiting on the table, warmed by a charm Bill had set on it.

_Overall,_ Dipper mused joyfully when everyone was seated and filling their plates with dinner, _I couldn’t ask for anything more._ Everyone that he loved was there, and besides Bill’s mess-up over dessert, everything had gone off with a hitch. The food was absolutely amazing, and the dinner table was at peace.

_A few months ago, it wouldn’t have been like this_ , Dipper reflected as he ate, occasionally sneaking glances at Bill. _How would today have gone, had we still been fighting?_

He spared a longer look at the demon beside him. Bill looked the happiest he had been in ages, his cerulean eye sparkling with mischief and a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks as he bantered lightly with Mabel.

Without saying anything, he reached under the table for the demon’s hand and took it, curling their fingers around one another. Bill paused mid sentence to look at him and he met the blond’s gaze evenly, giving only a small nod with the knowledge that Bill would know what it meant.

It was a yes to the question Bill had asked all those nights ago as they’d lain together in bed, a promise that they _could_ be more, and a silent question of if the offer was still even there.

An emotion that Dipper could only describe as love filled the demon’s face, and he squeezed Dipper’s hand as he gave a miniscule nod of his own.

The tender moment was broken by the sound of the phone ringing from the kitchen. Dipper looked up automatically, grateful to find that Grunkle Stan had stood from the table and was going to answer it.

He returned to his food, letting go of Bill’s hand with a final squeeze in the process. Whatever the issue was, he was sure that it’d be resolved in no time.

“Dipper! Phone’s for you!” Grunkle Stan yelled from the kitchen.

The brunet stood up, perplexion drawn across his face. Who’d be calling on Thanksgiving? It surely wouldn’t be his parents, so it had to be a friend. Maybe Soos…? Or perhaps it was Wendy. The thought of either of his friends calling just to talk to him made his heart jump in happiness.

His grin was a mile wide and his eyes were alight with excitement by the time he got to the kitchen. Grunkle Stan held the phone out to him, a confused expression on his face.

Dipper paused, the smile fading. “Who…who is it?”

“Some guy,” Stan replied, handing the phone to him and going back to the dining room.

“H-hello?” he asked cautiously, holding the phone up to his ear.

_“Dipper Pines,”_ Tad Strange’s voice purred from the other end. _“It’s lovely to talk to you again. I wanted to let you know that I’m back in town for the holiday. Perhaps we could meet up and have a cup of tea? I must say, I’m quite disappointed that you never took me up on my offer before I left the last time.”_

Dipper almost dropped the phone in shock. He gripped it tighter and forced himself to remain calm, his breathing being the only thing to betray his mind’s command. “What do you want?” he asked lowly, turning and leaning against the counter.

_"Here's what you're going to do, my precious Sapling,"_ Strange hummed.

"I'm not going to do anything," Dipper snapped quietly, glancing over his shoulder to see how the dinner was going. His friends and family were still talking, oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong. "What you're going to do is never call me ever again, and leave me the hell alone."

_"Wrong as usual,"_ Tad chirped. _"What you're going to do is this - once the sun begins to set, you're to step outside of your home and walk to the beginning of the road that runs directly to it. I'll meet you there, Sapling."_

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered harshly, fighting the urge to hang up. Tad had another reason for pestering, he knew that the demon had to have.

_“Tell me this, Sapling - you still messing around with Cipher?”_ Strange asked, his voice even with Dipper’s.

_Bingo_ , Dipper thought in satisfaction, though he was curious. Why would Strange be asking about Bill?

“That’s none of your business,” he growled. “Make your point, or I’m hanging up.” _There._ _That should, if anything, at least get me the reason why Tad’s bugging me about my relationship with Bill._ Unless the raven-haired demon was trying to ask him out?

Dipper entertained the thought for a few moments, almost missing Strange’s reply in the process.

_“He’s using you.”_ Tad’s voice remained unchanging and he spoke slowly, as if he knew that Dipper wouldn’t really hang up.

And he wouldn’t. He hated how the demon knew him well enough to know that he craved knowledge more than anything, and that he would do almost anything to get answers.

“…I’m listening.” He glanced uneasily over his shoulder again to focus on Bill, who was chatting with Mabel and Pacifica and making funny faces, then laughing.

That couldn’t have been possible. Everything Bill had done since they’d agreed to a friendship had been nothing but kind, no hint of malicious intent to be seen. Even more than that, he could see it in Bill’s eyes that he was truly regretful for hiding his identity from Dipper, and that he cared. There was no way.

_“He’s been using you this entire time,”_ Tad purred coyly, snapping him out of his thoughts. _“You’re the key to world domination, and he knows this.”_

Dipper’s heart nearly stopped. “W-what?” he whispered, shocked.

_“It sounds like you didn’t though. I know a lot about what you guys have done, and I can tell you this - it’s all been so that he can persuade you to help him take over Gravity Falls.”_

Dipper took a deep breath. “You’re lying,” he finally managed weakly. “Bill wouldn’t - he’s not like that. If domination was his plan, he would have told me outright and tried to manipulate me into helping by offering me universal knowledge or whatever.”

_“Hasn’t he, though?”_ Tad whispered. _“Think about it, Little Sapling. Why else would he want to teach you magic? You can become very powerful, and he wants to harvest that power for his own needs. It was never about you.”_

“You’re _wrong,_ ” Dipper protested.

_“And showing you all those creatures to put into your journal? Isn’t_ that _knowledge, Little Sapling?”_ He opened his mouth to try to deny Tad’s claims, but the demon barreled on. _“And convincing you that he loves you - a mere lie to toy with your emotions. He’s a demon, kid. We don’t feel. If he’s told you otherwise...then I’m truly sorry that you’ve believed him.”_

_This can’t be happening,_ Dipper thought as he dropped the phone in shock. _The key to the end of the world? If that’s true….is Tad right? Has Bill really just been using me?_ He slowly sank to the ground, pondering everything he knew up to that point. Memories of the past several months flashed in the forefront of his mind, asserting the demon’s words.

_“It would seem like you’ve been grooming him to be your perfect little plaything……You are a means to an end, and what a glorious end it will be.”_

 

_“You’re capable of much more than you think, Dipper Pines.”_

 

_“I can’t help but think you have ulterior motives for this.”_

_“Of course I do. Those motives are beyond the point though.”_

 

_“Now that you can summon enough magic to produce a small flame, we can move on to bigger and better things. You have good potential and a lot of magic within you. You’ll go far.”_

_“Sapling?”_ Tad’s voice came from the discarded phone, sounding concerned. _“Are you still there?”_

Dipper picked up the phone, his heart beating a million miles a minute. “Go to hell Strange,” he hissed, shakily standing up.

_“I’ll see you at sundown at the end of the road,”_ came Tad’s final triumphant response, before the conversation ended with a click.

Dipper set the phone down on the counter, thinking deeply. What Tad had said made _so_ much sense and there was more than enough evidence to suggest that he was right, but it _couldn’t_ be. Bill loved him….right? Or had the look in his eye moments before Tad called been for the thought of his final deception?

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and spent the next few minutes composing himself. One he was sure that nobody would suspect anything, he rejoined his family in the dining room to finish dinner.

“Is everything okay?” Bill asked quietly the moment he sat down. “I heard the phone drop. Who was it?”

Dipper cursed mentally. Of _course_ he wouldn’t be able to fool the one person who needed to be fooled most at the moment. Quickly, he spun a lie.

“Just my mom and dad,” he muttered back, shoveling a spoonful of potatoes into his mouth.

“What did they want?” Bill casually took a sip of his drink, eyeing Dipper as he did so.

“Just to tell me happy holidays,” he muttered. “That’s why I dropped the phone. They just shocked me is all.”

Luckily for him, the blond-haired demon didn’t say anything more on the subject and dinner went off without any more bombshells being dropped. Dessert was next to follow, and Dipper had to remind Bill that their special pumpkin roll was to be shared later.

He didn’t speak much for the rest of the afternoon, picking at his dessert halfheartedly. Everyone could tell that something was up, but they didn’t pressure him into talking about it. For that, he was thankful. He feared that if someone pestered him enough that the truth would come spilling out, and that the relationship he and Bill had worked to build would come crashing down again.

_But hasn’t it already?_ a small voice in the back of his mind that sounded horribly like Strange questioned snidely.

It was simple - he’d go out to the end of the road and confront Tad, demand answers and the _truth_ , then somehow make him leave. Either way, he had to do this, Dipper realized with a small twist in his gut. For the truth, once and for all. For the peace he more than deserved.

Whether he wanted to do it or not, his game with the demon called Tad Strange had to end.

Tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! Again, a happy birthday to Nat <3 and this chapter goes out to Ruby1334, who somehow managed to figure out a good chunk of plot and details of this fic just by analyzing it! A major kudos to you, and I hope you'll enjopy finding out just how much you're correct about! Happily enough, Dipper being the key to what the demons want is one of them =) 
> 
> So....next chapter. Huh. That's a thing. Uh....I'll try to have it written and beta'd in two weeks, but please forgive me if it's not done yet. I really have no idea how to write what's going to happen and I want it to be perfect.
> 
> Also, something I completely missed the last day I updated - Entropy's over a year old now. Coincidentally, I last updated on its birthday, March 18th ^^. I just...I did a lot of reflecting when I actually realized this, and I just want to thank you all so much. For kudosing, commenting, bookmarking, hell, even reading. It motivates me each time I'm down, to read the comments you all leave and it brings the biggest smile to my face to think of how you'll all possibly react to the future twists and turns I have in store.
> 
> This goes out to all of you, my dear readers. Thank you.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Sunday, my dear readers =)  
> This chapter, though it's not quite as graphic or violent as I thought it'd be, still carries a trigger warning for violence and character death.
> 
> Forgive me.

Tad Strange was waiting for Dipper when he finally made his way to the very end of what Grunkle Stan had always considered the driveway, looking as fine-dressed as ever. If he didn’t know the demon better, he’d almost think that they were going on a date.

“Hello there Dipper Pines,” Tad purred, extending a hand to him. “Thank you so much for coming tonight. I knew I could count on you to keep me company on this great holiday.”

“I don’t even know why I decided to do this,” Dipper muttered through gritted teeth. “I hate you.”

Tad cackled. “Back to this _again,_ Sapling? Trust me, you’ll find out why you came in a little bit. For now, come with me.” Strange’s eyes flashed as he spoke, and Dipper found himself taking the demon’s hand before he could stop himself.

One quick and suffocating tugging sensation later, they were standing in a dark alleyway. The light was quickly fading from the sky, and streetlamps were beginning to flicker on. As far as Dipper could tell, they were in an abandoned area even though there was light traffic just beyond the green fence that concealed the duo from the rest of the world.

“Where are we?” Dipper breathed, knowing without asking that talking too loudly would have some pretty nasty consequences.

Tad tugged Dipper forward, and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “First Avenue. I have some unfinished business to take care of, my dear Sapling, and you’re going to help me with it.”

“I never agreed to this,” Dipper bit out breathlessly, clenching his fists.

“On the contrary, you did,” Strange murmured silkily, sending chills down Dipper’s spine. “But more on that later. First, we’re gonna have some fun.”

Dipper sighed, knowing that it was futile to try arguing against the demon. He gritted his teeth and stepped away from Strange. “Define fun,” he ordered. “I’ve been double-crossed by you plenty of times before, and I’m not looking to add tonight to the list.”

“I have a...friend,” Strange said slowly. “We’re going to go see him, talk to him a little bit. He owes me some stuff for a deal he made with me a long time ago, and I’ve been thinking that it’s time that I tracked him down.”

Dipper nodded. “So I’m to act as a bodyguard then,” he mused. “I can get behind that, though….can’t you defend yourself? I’d think that you should be able to, considering that you’re a demon and all that.”

Tad regarded him for a few minutes, not saying a word. At long last, he finally gave the brunet a nod. “I can certainly defend myself,” he explained. “But it looks better for me to have a companion by my side, if you catch my drift. Adds on to the intimidation factor.”

Dipper nodded back. “Let’s get going then,” he muttered gruffly. “I want to get this done and over with so that I can forget about it and go back home. After you give me answers.”

Tad grinned. “Certainly,” he purred. “Though, I promise you Sapling, this will be an affair that you won’t forget.”

For a moment, Dipper pondered what Strange meant by the use of the word _affair_ _._ Was this a trap like the tea had been? Was it perhaps that Tad was trying to lure him to a friend, so the two could seduce him? He shuddered at the resulting images that flashed through his mind. _Gods, I hope that’s not it._

They made their way out of the alley. Dipper was pleased to find that he’d been correct in his analysis of the area. The alley had been in between two buildings that were currently not occupied, in a part of the town that seemed quaint. Something niggled at his perception, though. They weren’t in Gravity Falls anymore, nor were they in Medford.

“Tad…” he began quietly. “Do you mind telling me where the fuck you took me?”

The demon flashed him a bright grin. “Certainly, Sapling! We’re not in Oregon anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Dipper demanded, his voice rising an octave. “Tad, where are we?!”

“Hush, now.” Tad’s voice came out in a hiss, and his eyes flashed warningly. Dipper fell silent, more so out of the fact that he didn’t want to be noticed by any passersby than anything else.

“We’re in Seattle,” Strange continued. “My contact has been evading me pretty effectively for the past couple of years, but I’ve finally tracked him down. Our objective is to make him pay up tonight.”

Dipper relaxed and nodded. He could believe that Tad wanted revenge on someone for breaking a deal. After all, Bill had always been much the same way. “So where to?” he asked in a whisper.

“We’re going to a bar first,” Tad explained, holding out a hand. “That’s where we’re going to find my contact. We’ll talk to him a bit before he can assume that we’re here to collect his debt, then we’ll take him out on the town and take care of the job.”

Dipper stared at the demon’s outstretched hand for a few moments, wondering what Tad’s motive was. It had to be something nefarious, right? This was a demon he was dealing with after all, and his experiences with Strange had been bittersweet thus far. And that was if he put it nicely.

As if reading his mind (which he probably did), Tad rolled his eyes. _“Honestly_ Sapling, you’ve gotta quit thinking so far into everything. It’s just a guise for the public. If they think we’re dating, they’re more likely to leave us alone.”

Dipper cocked an eyebrow. “You sure you’re experienced in the field of humans? Most people in this country are completely against homosexuals, even if there _are_ laws allowing it. They’re more likely to mess with us if we come off as gay.”

“Well you already are, so I don’t really see what your problem is with it,” Strange sneered in response. Despite the fact that it was likely just a reaction to Dipper blowing him off, the comment still stung.

“Fine,” Dipper huffed. _You’re only going along with this because you don’t want to make a scene,_ he told his subconscious firmly. He stepped up to the demon’s side and took his hand, their fingers barely touching. He might not want to cause a scene, but he also wasn’t about to give Strange any more incentive to try to seduce him.

To his surprise, Tad gave his hand a light squeeze and curled their fingers together, an oddly touching gesture. “Thank you,” the raven haired demon murmured.

“You’re welcome?” he breathed back, confused. He shook his head to clear up his mind. Now was _not_ the time to be getting bent out of shape from random odd happenstances. _Focus, Dipper._

“So, what bar are we going to?” he murmured, standing on his tiptoes to reach Tad’s ear. He meant for the gesture to look romantic for the sake of their cover story, but it was his spine that tingles shot down from the contact of his lips on the demon’s ear, not Tad’s.

“The one on King Street,” the demon murmured back, his thumb rubbing against Dipper’s index finger. “It’s where my contact likes to hide out, apparently.”

“Just how long have you been stalking him?” Dipper questioned under his breath. “God fuck, this is worse than-”

“Than what, my dear Sapling?” Tad grinned, showing off his sharp canines. “Than your obsession over dear little me?”

“I am _not_ obsessed with you,” he hissed, his cheeks turning red in part anger, part indignation.

“You can’t lie to me,” Tad sing-songed, tightening his grip on the brunet’s hand. “Why else would you catch a bus all the way to Medford to track me down? And don’t even try to give me that shit about answers, Sapling.”

“You just don’t want to admit that you’re the one obsessing over _me,”_ Dipper spat, digging his nails into the top of Strange’s hand. “This cover story of yours? An excuse to hold hands with me.”

The brunet looked to the ground. “Seriously,” he grumbled kicking a stray pebble and watching it bounce into a storm drain with great satisfaction. “What is it with you demons wanting to be close to me? I’m not going to date Cipher, and there’s no way in hell that I’m ever going to even consider giving you any of my free time.” The part about Bill was a total lie, but Tad didn’t need to know that.

“You are now,” Tad pointed out smugly. “And keep it down. I don’t care how few people might be around, I don’t want you attracting the wrong kind of attention.”

 _So, he’s worried about that too,_ Dipper thought triumphantly. “Got it,” he mocked lowly, scraping his nails against Strange’s hand. _Might as well cause him as much pain as I can as long as I’m stuck in this situation._

“Oh Sapling, if only you knew the truth,” Tad hummed pleasantly, looking at Dipper out of the corner of his eye.

Dipper’s own eyes widened when he realized that the demon’s were dilated. _Well shit._ “Mind reading is really impolite you know,” he murmured, ignoring his own body’s reaction to the revelation that pain was a turn on for the demon.

Something else Tad had in common with Bill, apparently.

“You should utilize the powers that you have, Sapling,” the demon murmured back, unperturbed by his words. “Like the one you have to end the world. If you join up with me, I’ll make it worth your while. Certainly, I wouldn’t lie to you like Cipher has. And Seraph identifies as a female, so her body wouldn’t be very appealing to you, I can imagine.”

“I’m not joining anyone,” Dipper stated quietly. “No matter how attractive they are, or what they can offer me. I’m not ending the world so you or any other demon can parade around and treat me like a slave.”

“You don’t understand,” Tad breathed into his ear as they reached an intersection. The walk sign wasn’t on, so they waited as cars whizzed by. “You’d be my _equal,_ Sapling. Your throne would be next to mine.”

“Equals, huh?” the brunet muttered, thinking. “You’re right about one thing...Bill would make sure that I knew I was his subordinate.”

“So you’ll consider?” Strange asked, his tone brightening. The sign changed to the white silhouette of a person walking, and they quickly crossed the street while they had the chance. “Why, Sapling, you flatter me!”

“I never said that,” he deadpanned, shooting the demon an annoyed glance. “And enough with the nickname. At least Bill has the decency to call me by my name most of the time.” _Even if it is only because he got used to calling me by it when he was masquerading as a human._

“Pet names are a sign of affection,” Tad said, as if that would explain everything. “You should be flattered.”

“There’s a large difference between _should_ and _are,”_ Dipper told him firmly. “I’m not like most humans, Strange. I thought you’d have figured that out by now.”

“I know how extraordinary you are, Sapling.” Tad frowned at him, his eyes seeming to betray hurt. It couldn’t have been real, though; as Strange had reminded him only a few hours ago, demons didn’t have feelings.

“Right,” Dipper muttered.

Tad let go of his hand then, and the brunet almost sighed in relief. However, the raven haired demon had only done it to curl his arm around Dipper’s waist again.

“Come on,” he breathed harshly, leading the brunet into another dark alley. He glanced around quickly, then pushed Dipper up against the wall and kissed him. Dipper’s hands went to his chest to push him away, but the demon grabbed his wrists and pinned them over his head.

“Just go along with this,” Tad breathed against his lips. “Trust me on this one Dipper Pines.”

Dipper did the first thing he could think of and bit down on the demon’s bottom lip, hard. Strange released him with a small yelp and Dipper used the moment’s distraction to shove him away.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing Strange?” he hissed angrily. “You might think that I’m your puppet in this, bu-”

 _“Shut up,_ _”_   Tad snarled back quietly, stepping forward to press himself against Dipper again. He leaned in, his lips brushing against Dipper’s ear as he spoke. “I don’t know just how stupid you are Sapling, but someone’s been following us for the past few minutes. You apparently can’t keep your mouth under the decent control to at least be quiet, and this was the first thing I could think of. Now, I suggest that if you don’t want me to kill you, that you _play along."_

Dipper’s eyes narrowed in hatred, but he placed a hand on the side of Tad’s face and then pulled him in for another kiss, internally cursing himself for listening. How was he to know that this wasn’t another of Strange’s tricks, like the entirety of this night seemed to be?

Tad kissed him back languidly, molding his lips to fit perfectly against Dipper’s and pulling the brunet’s hips forward.

Despite how much Dipper hated Tad though, he couldn’t deny that almost no time seemed to pass before he could hear soft murmurs coming from near the street, even that fading away as the moments passed. At long last, Tad pulled away from him gently with a look of gratefulness flashing over his features.

“They’re gone now,” the demon murmured lowly, using a hand to brush it over Dipper’s shirt and jeans in an almost apologetic fashion. “Thank you for this, Sapling. Not only would it be bad for me if they found out about...all this, but it would also be bad for you too.”

“Who _were_ they?” Dipper breathed, worried despite the fact that he was still mad at the methods Tad had used to throw the people off his trail. If their stalkers were enough to make _Tad_ nervous, then the situation couldn’t be good. Even more so, the demon had teleported them, so how had the people found them so quickly? Were they constantly watching both him _and_ Strange, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?

“Some of Seraph’s people, I’m sure,” Tad muttered darkly.

“Bill,” Dipper murmured, closing his eyes. “Were they stalking us because of me? Because of what you told me? Does that mean they went after him and my family after I left?”

“He’s safe,” Tad said stoically, moving on to straighten his own clothing. “But we might not be if we stick around here any longer. We need to keep moving, Sapling.”

He latched onto Dipper’s arm and steered him out the alley, moving the arm to curl around his waist the moment they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“How did you even know they were there?” Dipper breathed, hardly even daring to whisper.

“How else do you think Sapling?” Tad murmured into his ear. “I used my own magic, Dipper Pines. It’s been made to alert me when I’m being followed by someone. Finicky thing though, magic is. It doesn’t know how to properly identify them, so I’m always left guessing as to the identity of my stalkers.”

“Why are they after us?”

“That should be obvious even to a being as dimwitted as you,” Strange replied. “If it was _really_ Seraphine’s people, she’d want to keep tabs on me because technically I’m the competition. She’s also still pretty mad at me for destroying her death-trap a few months ago, so…”

“Why haven’t they acted before now?” the brunet questioned, his tone raising only slightly. “Why choose _now_ of all times? And since you’re competition, that means that Bill is too. You’re _sure_ they didn’t-”

“You need to remain calm,” Tad interrupted, giving his side a gentle squeeze. “Your breathing is beginning to speed up and you’ll go into a panic attack if you don’t slow down.”

Dipper nodded numbly, slowing his walk down to a leisurely pace. Strange followed in suit, his arm curling even more protectively around the younger teen’s waist.

What was he playing at?

“We’re getting close to the bar where my contact is,” Strange breathed, nuzzling his face into Dipper’s hair. “We’re both going to get something to drink first. Make sure that if it’s something strong that you don’t finish it.”

“Got it,” he replied under his breath. “How will we know who to look for?”

“Just follow my lead,” Tad said mysteriously as they stepped up to a building with a few lit up pieces of wordart advertising for different kinds of beer, and one proclaiming the bar’s openness.

Dipper scrunched up his nose at the alcohol he could clearly smell from the inside. Having a beer or margarita courtesy of Bill every once in a while was perfectly fine so far as the stench went, but the strength of the smell emanating from the bar was so much worse.

They stepped inside and despite Dipper’s initial disdain of the place, he found that it was nicer than he’d perceived at first. The bar was warm, thankfully enough, and the atmosphere was an almost cozy one. Laughter intermixed with the sounds of a football game and lively instrumental music. Dipper found himself relaxing and the thought crossed his mind that perhaps this wasn’t going to be such a bad evening after all.

“Evening, fine sirs,” Tad said charmingly as he walked up to the counter, removing himself from Dipper’s side in the process. The brunet quickly followed, looking around the area curiously. “I’ll have a Clos du Bois Special Select, and my companion here would like the house red.”

The guy manning the counter nodded and turned to make the drinks. Dipper noticed that Tad took the chance to sweep his gaze around the room, most likely to search for whomever they’d come here for. Finally, the demon gave a satisfied, minuscule nod.

“Don’t try searching him out,” Tad hissed under his breath. “But he’s sitting near the back of the room nursing a bottle of Pacifico. Wearing a suit shirt and black slacks. If I had to guess, he was one of the unfortunate souls that didn’t get work off today and now he’s drinking down his sorrows.”

Dipper nodded, faking a smile. It wouldn’t look good if he looked too tense around Tad, even if he was beginning to feel nervous about the entire situation. A companion was what the lie had spun, and a companion he’d be. _It’s just a talk, Dipper. Maybe a threat if he doesn’t comply at first. Don’t worry, you’ve got this._

They both finally got their drinks and while Tad paid for them and made small talk with the bartender, Dipper looked around the establishment again. Preconceptions aside, he actually kind of liked the place. Maybe he’d come back here someday, with Bill.

“Come along Sapling,” Tad murmured into his ear, placing a light hold on his arm and leading him toward the table in the back. Dipper took a moment to stare at the occupant, memorizing every feature of the miserable looking businessman. What deal could he have possibly made with Tad?

The man had looked up at them the moment they approached, staring with bloodshot, red rimmed eyes. His expression was weary and untrusting, but under that was curiosity.

 _He must have been crying,_ Dipper thought, a twinge of sympathy stirring up within him. He stayed silent though as Tad set his drink down on the table and took one of the chairs, pulling out the other for Dipper.

“Good evening Lester,” Tad started smoothly, picking up his glass and taking a small, silent sip from it. “It’s a delight to see you again.”

“W-who are you?” the man, Lester, stammered.

Strange smirked. “Why, you don’t remember me? And after all I’ve done for you...allow me to refresh your memory, hmm? Tad Strange is the name, and this here is my partner Elijah.”

Dipper almost shot the demon a glare. He had to pick _that_ name, over all the others he could have chosen? It would have been so much simpler for Strange to use his real name, since he only ever went by Dipper anyway.

Lester’s face paled, and his eyes widened in recognition. “S-St-Strange, I-I didn’t e-”

“Yes, well. Nobody that breaks their deals with me ever expect to see me again, do they?” Tad interrupted, grinning sharply. “I suggest that you quiet down, Lester. After all, we don’t want anyone else getting in the way of our deal, now do we?”

“I-I was going to pay you,” the man murmured, looking down at the table and flushing.

“Of course you were,” Strange soothed. He glanced at Dipper out of the corner of his eye. “Feel free to enjoy your drink, Sapling. This is going to take some time.”

Dipper nodded and raised his glass to his lips, taking a drink. After a moment, he decided that he was okay with the taste and sipped again. He listened intently to the conversation Tad and Lester were having, the pit of nervousness within him growing as time passed.

“-really, you should have known that you couldn’t hide from me forever.” Tad spoke in low tones, and Dipper realized that the demon’s eyes were glowing dimly. Lester was nodding along, still looking wary but it didn’t seem as if he was going to cause a scene.

Dipper pondered the man’s reactions, wondering if mind control wasn’t another thing on the list of what all Strange could do. It would make a small amount of sense, given that he had listened to what the demon told him to do for the most part.

He raised his drink to take another sip, then noticed that he had finished it. When had that happened?

“You’re looking a bit pale yourself Elijah,” Tad remarked with a small smile. “Why don’t we all go outside for a stroll? It’s been wonderful to get the chance to catch up with you Lester, and I’ve got plenty of time to discuss our last business deal. Why not go out and enjoy the sights while the night is still young?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Dipper said with a nod. He pushed back his chair and stood, his head beginning to spin a bit from the drink he’d had. The effects weren’t too terribly bad though, and he’d be perfectly fine in a few hours or so.

“I guess I have the time,” Lester agreed hesitantly, following Dipper and standing. He swayed slightly on his feet and the brunet had to hold back a small laugh. Here on ‘business’ or not, it wouldn’t do him good to make _anything_ into a scene.

The trio left the bar together, Tad curling an arm around Dipper’s waist again and chattering almost nonstop. The demon called out an obnoxiously loud goodbye to everyone in the bar as they went, and a few people returned it.

“It’s such a lovely night out,” Tad hummed as they made their way down the sidewalk. “Don’t you agree Lester?”

“I-I guess,” Lester stuttered, stumbling slightly over a small bump in the sidewalk. Dipper suppressed a snort.

“And what do you think Elijah?” Strange murmured into his ear quietly, his tongue flicking out to trace the shell. “Perfect night for doing business, isn’t it?”

“Go fuck yourself,” Dipper breathed back, resisting the urge to flip him off. “I should be at home right now with my family and you know it.”

“True,” Strange conceded with a small nod. “However, _should be_ and _are_ are two very different things. Right now, you’re here with me. Make the most of it.”

“Sooo, wher’re we goin’ anyway?” Lester slurred. Dipper almost jumped. He had forgotten that the other man was even there for a second, too caught up in his banter with Strange.”

“A lovely place where we can complete our deal,” Tad replied with a bright grin. “I think you’ll find it to be the perfect location. In fact, we’re not too far from it now.”

Dipper thought for a moment. Just where _were_ they going? Another hotel, like the last time he’d met up with Tad? Another place that served drinks and food? A dark alley?

“Close, Sapling,” Tad whispered to him, his fingers curling into Dipper’s side in an action that could have been seen as affectionate.

It made him want to puke.

“Which one?” he asked instead, glancing at the demon out of the corner of his eye.

“That’s a surprise yet to be seen.” Tad’s eyes briefly flashed a bright purple in the dark of the night with his words, and Dipper could see a manic grin curling on his lips.

They traveled in an almost complete silence for the next several minutes, and the nervousness that Dipper had felt for a greater part of the time he’d spent with Strange was coming to a full boil. Something bad was going to happen, he just _knew_ it. Tad was far too happy for this to be a casual affair, and the circumstances were more than odd. Why didn’t the man named Lester _run_ _?_ Obvious reasons aside, _surely_ he knew that something was wrong, right?

Or was he really just that paranoid?

 _Definitely not paranoid then,_ he thought as he finally thought to take in the surroundings of where they were apparently headed. Train tracks loomed just ahead, leaving behind every part of the city and making for an altogether pretty creepy place overall. There were orange streetlights around every once in a while to light up the area, but it didn’t light it up well enough for whatever Dipper was sure Tad’s plan was.

The trio continued on toward the deserted train tracks, Dipper keeping silent despite the urge he felt to scream. Tad’s eyes were continuously glowing brightly by this point, and he kept talking with Lester in low tones the entire time. Dipper couldn’t make out most of the words, and he was sure by this point that they weren’t even all English. For his part, Lester stumbled along and nodded with a slacked jaw and glazed over eyes.

Dipper felt sick at the thought of what was happening, of his own part in this messed up game that they were playing. What was going to happen? Why had he agreed to come tonight? Why hadn’t he just let Strange tell Bill about their affair and just let him deal with it?

“Tad,” Dipper finally voiced, drawing himself reluctantly from his thoughts. “Something’s not right. Why are we here?”

“Gee Sapling,” Strange fired back sardonically, his eyes flashing brightly as his lips curled into a sadistic smirk. He lifted one hand and twisted, and Lester flew backward into a train car, pinned there by magic. “I don’t know, why do you _think_ we’re here? Did you think this was really just going to be a nice stroll through the park? How naive can you _get?”_

“I-” Dipper mumbled, but was automatically cut off by the demon.

“Kill him.”

 _"What?!"_ he gasped, taking a horrified step back. "N-no. No! I-I won't, no-"

"Kid, does it _look_ like I'm giving you an _option?"_ Tad hissed, eyes flashing again. "I ordered you to _kill,_ now _do it."_

Something shifted around inside of Dipper's mind then and before he could stop himself or even try to protest, he stepped toward Lester. "How?" he asked in a monotone, the words spilling effortlessly from his lips even though it wasn't _him._ Everything was _wrong,_ he didn't want to _do_ this, why was he just _obeying?_

"Hmm," Tad perused, coming up to stand behind him. He laid a hand on Dipper's shoulder and something shifted around in his mind again, the same as before, and then it shifted again and vaguely Dipper realized that Tad was in his mind.

"I want you to strangle him," the demon finally decided with a small hum. "You almost killed your grandfather once, no?" He paused for a moment and the hand on Dipper's shoulder briefly tightened, then Tad barreled on. "Yes, back when you were sharing minds with Cipher. So there, get to it. It won't leave too much of a mess and it'll make him be quiet and then we can really get to the fun part of it."

Dipper nodded again and broke free of Tad's grasp, slowly walking forward until he was right in front of the man named Lester. _What's your story, really?_ he asked mentally, even as his eyes swept over his to-be victim. His hands, working of their own accord, slowly reached up to wrap around Lester's neck, almost hesitant.

This was familiar, he reflected as his hands tightened marginally. Even through the horror he felt internally, the thought crossed his mind that it would be best to cut off his victim's air supply slowly.

"Wait." Tad's voice suddenly spoke from somewhere close behind, and Dipper hesitated, relief flowing through him. Had Tad changed his mind about killing Lester?

The demon stepped forward though, placing both of his hands on the brunet's shoulders this time. "This is too nice and easy. It won't scar your mind as much as I want it to."

Miraculously, Dipper found his voice. It was shaky and weak, but _there._ "So that's it then? You're just trying to break me?"

"Details," Strange purred close to his ear, and his lips pressed chastely against the brunet's neck a moment later, lingering for only a moment. "It's all a part of the grand scheme of things, a smaller one, but nonetheless. I want you to torture our dear little friend here first; think you can manage that, Sapling?"

"I-I don't…I don't want to," Dipper voiced quietly, the words taking almost more effort to speak than he could manage. "I- This isn't-"

"Hush," Tad commanded in a sharp hiss. "You carry a knife in your pocket at all times, do you not? You're paranoid enough that you'll be attacked at any moment, even with the protection and safety you _think_ Cipher is willing to grant you."

"No," Dipper whispered, his mind thinking back to Halloween and what he'd seen. "You can't- won't-"

"You know codes, do you not? Take out your pocketknife and cut my name into his skin, across his chest." Dipper made out a bright flash of purple from the corner of his eye as Tad spoke, something in the back of his mind whispering that the glow was significant somehow, that he needed to pay attention to it.

How could he though, when control of his own body was slowly being ripped away from him, piece by piece? Tad was controlling him, that _had_ to be what was happening because there was no way he was doing any of this on his own free will.

One of his hands moved deftly from around Lester's neck down to his right pocket, where he kept the small white knife that he'd been given a couple of years ago from Wendy.

"Stop this," he said, the words sounding far off and foreign to his brain. "Tad, I don't want to do this. Stop. I'll do anything."

"What an intriguing offer," the demon murmured with a chuckle. "Unfortunately for you Sapling, you don’t get to call the shots here. Now, get to work."

The whole time, Lester had been silent in a way that some part of Dipper knew wasn't consensual. The man struggled against the magic that pinned him in place, lips moving even though no sound came out.

Hot tears pricked the corners of Dipper's eyes as he set about getting rid of his victim's shirt. After a few moments of taking him in, his hands settled on cutting it off his body, the movements jerky as if they weren't his.

 _They're not,_ he thought, feeling sickened and ashamed. _This can't be me, it's not, there's no way that I'd do this. It's not me, it can't be, it_ can't _be._

He was faintly aware of _sound_ as he worked, and somewhere in between burning the fabric of Lester's shirt and pressing the blade of his knife against soft _vulnerable_ skin, he realized that it was _him;_ pleas and cries spilling from his lips and falling on nearly deaf ears. The tears rolling down his cheeks made so much more sense and as he pressed down on the knife and broke skin, he screwed his eyes shut.

“Come now, that won't do," Tad chided gently. "How are you supposed to write my name correctly if you can't see? Open your eyes Dipper, and look at what you're doing."

He closed his eyes impossibly tighter and shook his head frantically, even as his hand kept moving, spilling blood and occasionally staining his fingertips. "Stop stop stop," he muttered, chanting the words like a mantra. "Please don't make me do this, please, I don't wanna-"

"Open your eyes," Tad whispered and Dipper was left with no choice but to thoughtlessly comply.

Already, Lester's chest was a mess. Even though his hands had seemed to know what they were doing, the first letter was jagged and unsure. Despite the blood though, despite how horrified Dipper was with himself, he stared.

Tad hadn't specified when he'd asked if Dipper knew code, and the teen had automatically chosen the one that was most comforting to him, the one that made the most sense to him.

Would Bill's cipher make sense to the indigo demon too?

 _Bill,_ Dipper thought, a new rush of panic and misery flowing through him. _Oh god, what am I going to tell him?_ This wasn’t _right,_ he should be home right now, enjoying Bill’s company and drinking margaritas and sharing the pumpkin roll they’d made earlier that day.

He let out a shaky sob, his hand stilling among the blood that flowed freely from his victim’s chest. He was saying something, could hear the words coming from his mouth, but it was all incoherent to his blurred and semi-controlled mind. It was as if a dam seemed to break within him at the thought of Bill, apologies and loud sobs spilling from his lips as his shoulders shook from the force of them.

“Hush now,” Tad soothed, his voice a murmur in the brunet’s ear. One arm wrapped around the front of his waist from behind, and a hand threaded through his hair and lightly scrunched. “Just relax, Dipper Pines. Cipher won’t be a problem for you after tonight, I promise.”

Dipper shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. He could no longer see through the stinging blur of tears anyway, and that aside, he didn’t _want_ to see anymore, didn’t want to _feel,_ to-

“Relax, my Sapling,”  Tad coaxed, his grip on Dipper’s hair tightening slightly, bringing the brunet back to reality. “Just open your eyes and finish the job, and then you can go home and see your precious Bill.”

“-don’t want to,” Dipper finally managed to choke out, raising his unbloodied hand to wipe at his eyes. It was futile. “Tad, pl-please don’t make me do- do this anymore.”

“No.” Tad’s voice turned cold, and Dipper could just barely make out a purple glow from the corner of his eye. “I gave you an _order,_ Sapling, and you’re going to _do it.”_

Hands shaking, Dipper opened his eyes at long last and resumed his task. Bile rose to the back of his throat the moment he got more than just a glance at Lester’s chest.

TA- the code spelled out so far. The knife was thankfully thin so Dipper couldn’t see any of the inside of his victim’s body really. The external carnage however, was enough to give him nightmares for months. The pocketknife might be thin, but it cut deep and Dipper didn’t pay a whole lot of attention in anatomy class, but he was pretty sure that he’d sliced a major vein or something because the amount of blood pouring from the symbols was almost unreal. Even more so was the fact that Lester was still alive.

“Sapling, do you want to know why the deals I make are so powerful?” Tad asked lowly, his breath hot against Dipper’s skin.

“Fine,” he murmured after a few long moments of contemplative silence in which his hands began working on the last letter of the demon’s first name. He forced himself to focus on a random spot on the wall instead of what he was doing, barely paying attention to what Tad was saying.

“You see Dipper Pines, there are certain rules that a demon generally follows when they make a deal. I’m sure you know a few?”

“No.”

“Well, for one, when a demon makes a deal with a human, a handshake has to happen to seal it. I’ve never played by that rule, Sapling.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Dipper asked in confusion, but even then he was slowly beginning to connect the pieces.

“Do you remember the first day we met?”

“How could I forget?” Dipper grumbled under his breath, glancing up for a moment to check ‘his’ progress on the demon’s name. His stomach rolled at the sight of his victim though, and he quickly looked back down.

“Aw, Sapling, you’ve kept me in your thoughts? How sweet~”

“Just get to the point,” the teen snapped, his voice cracking with the threat of an oncoming sob. He didn’t want to _do_ this anymore, he wished he’d never agreed to come here tonight.

Tad chuckled warmly, his hand trailing down to cup around the back of Dipper’s neck, nails lightly scratching at the skin. “Haven’t you wondered by now why you’re just going along with what I tell you?” he breathed, the arm around his waist tightening some. A moment passed in which Dipper didn’t say anything and then the demon huffed out a laugh. “How naive of you Dipper Pines, to deny it for this long.”

“I-I- you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dipper stuttered, his heart beginning to race for an entirely different reason now.

“Hmm, let me see...what were the terms again?” Tad mused. The tone of his voice was teasing, playfully stringing the brunet along. “Right!” he exclaimed a moment later, snapping his fingers. “Information- I showed you where the longings were and gave you answers and helped you with your stupid little research, and in exchange - well, you left that one rather open-ended, didn’t you Sapling?”

 _“No,”_ Dipper gasped out, his concentration breaking completely as he shook his head profusely in denial. “No, tha- that _can’t-_ I-I- _no,_ I never made a deal with you!”

“But you did!” Tad cackled loudly, the sound echoing through the otherwise almost silent night. “You _nodded,_ Dipper Pines, and that’s as good as saying yes!”

The last puzzle piece clicked into place then, the thoughts running through Dipper's mind almost drowned out by the sound of crying.

It took him a few minutes to realize that it was him.

“The fact that you made a deal with me in the first place isn’t even the best part because I could have easily forced your cooperation tonight through a few cleverly placed threats against your sister and Cipher,” Tad continued, almost breathlessly in wonder. “No, what makes it _so much better_ is the fact that I stole the deal from under your nose, breaking the biggest demon law there is so far as they go. With no term specified by you, it left the options for _me_ wide open.”

Whatever had been shifting around in the back of Dipper’s head all night finally came to life fully, bringing a migraine with the realization that he’d been more than duped this entire time. Tad had _planned_ this, and Dipper had played right into his hands like the fool he was.

“You’re _my_ puppet now,” Tad hissed and Dipper’s hand moved so much faster, slicing through skin in precise lethal strokes, almost graceful in its motions.

 _TAD STRANGE,_ his victim’s chest now read in code, a bloody mess. Whatever magic had been keeping Lester upright and silent broke, the man crumpling to the ground and crying audibly.

“W-why are you doing this?” he sobbed, and Dipper’s lip curled back in distaste.

“Pathetic,” Tad sneered in the same moment. “Sapling, finish him off.”

Dipper’s free hand shot out and snatched Lester by the hair before he could even think about it, pulling the man’s head up and forcing him to gaze into the brunet’s eyes.

 _I’m so sorry,_ Dipper wanted to say, but control was no longer his. In an instant he was pressing the bloodied knife to the man’s throat, pressing ever so slightly.

“Any last words?” Tad asked coldly through Dipper’s lips.

Lester gulped and the knife pressed deeper with it, but he didn’t dare move otherwise. “I-I ha-have a f- _family,”_ he sniffled, looking into Dipper’s eyes with his own pleading ones. “A- A son who n-needs me, _please.”_

“You know Sapling?” Tad asked after a long, tense moment of utter stillness and silence. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to force you to kill him.”

The demon’s presence left his mind then and Dipper found that he was able to pull the knife away from Lester at last, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Than-”

“I’m not done yet,” the demon interrupted smoothly. “I won’t force you to kill this man for me, even though I’d certainly be doing you a kindness by preparing you for the life you’re bound to live. Instead, I’m giving you a choice. Walk away from _this_ _,_ you lose every _thing_ and every _one_ you love. You _remain_ Cipher’s pet and when he takes over the world, become his _mindless killing machine.”_

“Or,” Strange’s voice softened considerably and his grip on Dipper’s waist and neck relaxed with it. “We can do this. You finish helping me complete Lester’s deal for him, kill him, and you’re free. From Cipher’s influence, from the bloody future he has planned for you. You can join me, and you’ll never have to do this again. Your family will be safe. Your loved ones, _Wright._ They’ll never be hurt in this war of demons. It’s up to you, though, I can see it now. It was wrong for me to ever try forcing your hand. So what do you say?”

Dipper faltered, the weight of his unmade decision fully hitting him. Tad was asking him to _kill._ It was the ultimate betrayal to everything he was, everything he stood for, and yet…

What _was_ he, _really?_

_You’re the key to world domination, and he knows this._

What was he really, to Bill? The demon had lied to him once, concealed his identity to get close to Dipper. Then he’d been found out, and - what, exactly? Created another ruse, did the exact same thing, except under a new lie? What had Bill honestly _ever_ done for Dipper?

Was Tad really telling the truth? He’d never really lied to Dipper so far, had been helpful in the case of Seraphine and the woods, had showed him new things to put into the journals. He’d even told Dipper about what he supposedly was, and what would Tad _possibly_ have to gain by playing the one card he’d have over the teen?

In the end, he was really picking between a lesser of two evils and it was beginning to look like Tad was it. What kind of future could he possibly have with _Bill,_ the demon who’d already tried destroying everything he loved once and very nearly almost succeeded with it?

Tad was right again, he realized with a heavy sigh. If he stayed with Bill, the chance that he was only being used _again_ was higher than the possibility that Bill was sincere. After all, demons couldn’t feel, and emotions were the basis of Cipher’s ruse. Mindless killing machine? For a chaos-loving demon like Bill, that sounded about right.

If he did this, he lost a large part of who he was and surrendered to a darkness he’d only ever brushed up against once when he’d summoned the dead. He wasn’t counting Seraphine’s miasma in this, even though it was _more_ than dark enough. However, if he did this...he would be free.

Maybe not from Bill, depending on what Dipper decided to do with everything he’d learned that night, but from everything else?

He would be free to _choose,_ free to decide if he wanted Bill hanging around anymore after this, and most certainly free from Tad. After all, the indigo demon had never outright stated that Dipper _had_ to join him, he’d said that he _could._

If he did this, he could walk away from whatever demon battle to take over the world he’d somehow been ensnared in. His family could move - sure, he’d be sad, but there were other paranormal hotspots in the world. The Stans would understand once he explained, and Mabel for sure would because she knew the entire story.

“Nobody will know it was me who killed him?” Dipper asked slowly, still hesitant.

“Not unless you tell them yourself,” Tad promised.

 _Lester’s suffered enough,_ Dipper rationalized, raising his knife. He stared at the bloodstained silver, wondering just for a moment what Wendy would say if she saw him. _This is doing him a kindness._ Lester’s skin had gone pale some time ago, and his begs for mercy had gone into mindless babbling. Honestly, Dipper wasn't sure how he was still _alive,_ much less still conscious.

 _He is dying though,_ the brunet thought, slowly closing his eyes. Just for a moment, so he could steady himself, steel his resolve. _What’s going to make this the easiest on him, cause him the least amount of pain?_

“Try the carotid artery,” Tad suggested cheerfully, letting go of Dipper and stepping back. “It’s on the neck and since he’s about to pass out from blood loss anyway, it’ll probably do him in.”

“Could you do me a favor and _not_ be so happy about this?!” Dipper snapped, opening his eyes. He would have turned to face the indigo demon, but the hand that had shot back to the back of his neck dissuaded him.

“Did you make your choice then?” Tad asked, ignoring him.

Dipper nodded, tilting his head slightly to study his victim, ignoring the sounds Lester was making. “You win, Strange. It’s on the neck, you said? How badly is it going to hurt? And how is he even alive?”

“Well,” Tad hummed. “You’ve already hit a couple of them just by writing my name which probably hurt like quite a bitch, so this should be fine in comparison. Not to mention he’s close enough to passing out that he’ll be dead in a few minutes anyway. This is just supposed to speed up the process. As for your last question, I’ve been sustaining him with my magic.”

“Alright,” Dipper murmured, taking a deep breath. He slowly reached out and pressed the knife against Lester’s neck, hoping that it was the right spot.

“A bit lower,” Tad advised, his grip on the brunet’s neck relaxing.

Biting his lip, Dipper nodded again and pressed down, slicing deep into the skin. Blood immediately began flowing from the wound and when Lester began coughing weakly, Dipper knew that it was over.

“He’ll be dead within the minute. Come on Sapling, I doubt you really want to be here to see the rest of this. I’ll take you home.” The demon’s hand slipped down to his arm and gently pulled, making the brunet stumble back a step. Dipper turned to follow him then, though he couldn’t help but look back after about half a minute had passed.

Lester had fallen and was most likely dead. Dipper was still holding the knife, and both it and his hands were covered in blood.

“Ready to be teleported, or do you need a minute?” Tad asked, concern in his tone. He turned to face the brunet. “I’m surprised you haven’t already gotten sick, to be perfectly honest. I didn’t think you could stomach killing a person.”

 _I don’t know how I can either,_ Dipper thought hollowly. Emotionally, he felt drained and he thought it might have something to do with it. “I should be fine,” he told Tad, biting his lip. “Let’s just go.”

Something in Tad’s expression flickered, then he leaned in and pressed his lips chastely against Dipper’s cheek. “It’s over,” he murmured. “Just remember that.”

Dipper closed his eyes a split second before the pulling sensation from earlier returned, and when he opened them a few moments later, he was standing alone in the front yard of the mystery shack.

Bile hit the back of his throat and the knife dropped to the ground as Dipper stumbled forward a few steps and fell to his hands and knees, then promptly threw up. The realization of what he’d just done set in, forcing out a gut wrenching sob and then he let loose and just _cried._

Only a few moments seemed to pass before he heard a loud shout, and suddenly Mabel was by his side.

“What happened?” she whispered, sounding mortified. “You just disappeared earlier and Bill’s been tense all evening. Dipper, why are your hands all bloody? And your eyes- what _happened?”_

“Tad,” Dipper choked out, his fists clenching in the grass. “Made a deal- forced me- forced me to k- _kill,_ Mabel.”

“Come on bro, let’s get you inside.” She gently took one of his arms and helped him to his feet, slipping his arm over her shoulders. They made their way slowly to the shack, Mabel murmuring soothing words of comfort the entire way there.

They’d barely made it inside the house before Bill was there to greet them, his eyes red and puffy as if he’d been crying. His entire demeanor changed the moment he really looked at Dipper though, and he _snarled_ and lunged forward-

Suddenly, everything shifted to the monochrome of the mindscape, but Dipper didn’t get much of a chance to pay attention to that fact because he was being slammed up against a wall in the span of a single heartbeat by a still very human Bill Cipher.

"Bill, I-"

"Save it," the demon snarled, baring his teeth. His eye had gone completely scarlet, and his skin mirrored the color with an angry flush. "You know, I was perfectly fucking willing to ignore it the first time. I get it, you were pissed and so you went to _him._ Maybe I deserved that."

Something deep within Dipper's stomach twisted unpleasantly and for  a moment, he thought he was going to be sick again. "Y- you - you _knew?" Why didn’t you ever_ say _anything? Tonight never had to_ happen...

Bill laughed mirthlessly, the sound borderline insane. _"Knew?_ Kid, how long exactly did you think you could keep it a secret from me? Don't answer that, by the way."

"It's just-" he went on, stepping away from Dipper and beginning to pace, his steps quick and tense. The brunet himself was too afraid to move, the realization setting in that Bill was on the edge of losing it completely.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, stepping back and giving you your space. You wanted that, made it perfectly clear before I went in your mind that first time, and then I slowly pulled away from it. I had to keep my identity a secret at the time of course, but even after - _especially_ after you found out, I stayed out of it. I didn’t try to talk to you anymore when you made it clear that you didn’t want me to. And yet-” Another laugh, this one quieter, more resigned. It was under _control,_ and that terrified Dipper more than anything because he knew that the demon was ready to snap.

Bill was telling the truth though, so far as Dipper knew. He _had_ stayed silent those few weeks that Dipper had been avoiding him, but had he really completely withdrawn from his mind? If he really did know everything, then how-?

“I’m a fucking demon of the _mind,_ kid!” Bill snapped in an answer, whirling around to face him with a glare that could freeze flame. “Perks of the job include seeing auras, and yours is everywhere I turn, accompanied by _his.”_

“W-why didn’t you-” Dipper found himself taking faster, shallower breaths with the revelation that Bill had known about Tad, and he struggled to maintain what little composure he had. “Why-”

“I gave you the chance to come clean and tell me yourself,” Bill cut him off swiftly, his eye narrowing. “That day, back in the woods. I took you to the Longings on purpose, I told you about _him_ because I thought you might confess. You didn’t, though. You never intended to tell me about seeing him, and that fucking hurts more than anything Dipper.”

A strangled noise escaped the brunet’s lips, and he finally found his voice. “Y-you? What about _me?”_ His voice cracked, but he kept talking. “How long have you been _using_ me, Bill? When the _hell_ were you going to tell me that you’ve only been hanging around me because I’m the fucking key to your little endgame?”

Surprise flitted over Bill’s face, then the demon shook his head. “You seriously-? So that’s it, then? You’ll take _his_ word over _mine?"_

"I certainly don't hear you denying it!" Dipper snapped, stalking forward until he was right in front of the demon. "That means that it's true, and that you lied to me _again."_

"Do you have any idea how fucking hypocritical you sound right now?" Bill asked, his upper lip curling in disdain. "How often in the past three and a half months have _you_ lied to _me,_ huh?"

"That's besides the point!"

"Right!" Bill gave a short hysterical laugh, scarlet expanding to completely cover blue. "Because you can do no wrong, am I right?! You're just a puny little mortal that goes about his days sneaking behind others' backs and lying out his ass, and _I'm_ the bad guy! Did I get it all?"

"Don't act fucking innocent," Dipper said lowly, rage coiling deep within him, an emotion that had seemed somehow muted until now. "You are anything _but."_

"Oh, I _know_ I'm not a good person," Bill shot back instantly. "I'm not _even_ a person, and I'm beginning to question why I ever made the stupid deal to become one in the first place. All this-" he gestured around the air dramatically, his face twisting into a sneer. "-it's so fucking _pointless,_ and I _hate_ it, especially my _feelings_. It’s _stupid,_ how mad I am; but at the same time, I can’t stay mad at you, and I-"

"Why don't you just fucking _leave_ if you're so unhappy?" Dipper interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "I don't want you around anymore Bill, not if _this_ is how it's going to be all the time. All you ever do is lie and hide things from me, and then get pissed when I call you out on it. So just-" His vision blurred and he faltered in his words. He turned away from Bill, crossing his arms. "Just go."

"Hold up." In an instant, Bill's hands were on his shoulders, and the demon whirled Dipper around to face him again. "So that's _it?_ You just want me to _go?"_

Dipper stared at him evenly. "You wanted a second chance, Bill, and this was it. Really, I don't care anymore if you stay or leave." The words were a lie though, he _did_ care to an extent, but...

What was it worth, if it was always going to be like this? Keeping secrets and fighting, then making up only to start the cycle anew? No, it was better this way.

 _"That's the fucking problem!"_ Bill snarled, pushing Dipper away. The brunet stumbled back into the wall and Bill had him pinned in an instant, his hand latching loosely around Dipper's throat. "You don't _care!_ He's been influencing you this _entire time_ and you're too far gone to even notice it! Fucking _hell_ Pine Tree, your eyes are _purple!"_

"W-what?" Dipper stuttered, blinking rapidly. "No, that's not-"

"Possible?" Bill asked scathingly. "You're so _naïve,_ Pine Tree. He's been playing with your thoughts and emotions _all night."_

"You're lying," the brunet said meekly, but deep down he knew that Bill's words had to have had some truth to them. He'd _killed_ with hardly a second thought.

The demon's eye darkened, emotion flickering through it momentarily. "Fine," he said quietly, red giving way to a shock of blue as he seemed to just...give up. "I'll leave, but not without fixing _your_ dumbass mistakes first. I'll help you out this once, but know this - if you ever see him again, if you ever even dare _talk_ to him again, I'll rip him to pieces for daring to try taking what's _mine."_ Bill's hand slowly shifted to Dipper's forehead, pushing the hair back and exposing his birthmark.

"I don't belong to you," Dipper bit out through gritted teeth, clenching his fists.

"Yes you do," Bill said absentmindedly, a finger tracing along the constellation. "This is _my_ mark, Pine Tree, not _his."_

Dipper opened his mouth to respond but his vision was already beginning to fade, his senses losing themselves to the caress of whispered words.

"For what it's worth," Bill murmured from somewhere far off, "I should have never let you live."

* * *

 

Voices occasionally permeated Dipper’s hearing, but he knew nothing otherwise. At one point, he thought he _might_ have smelled something acrid, felt the cool relief of water; all snippets of moments before they were gone again.

If his mind could have a taste, he mused at one point of eternity, it would be mint. Wintergreen, to be precise. It was the sharpest taste he could think of.

He was stuck in a constant perpetual loop of _nothing_ and it was beginning to get boring.

Then he woke up.

The first face that came into focus was Mabel’s, her features soft and concerned. Guilt ripped through him at the sight of her red eyes. She’d been _crying,_ and it was all his fault.

“Hey,” he whispered, raising a heavy hand and giving her a half-hearted wave.

“You’re awake.” She sniffed and rubbed at the corner of an eye, then reached down and took his hand. “I-I didn’t think- it’s been hours.”

 _What happened?_ he wanted to ask, but the words refused to be spoken.

“Bill-” was the first thing he could manage, slowly shifting upward to sit.

“Grandpa Stanley burned your clothes for you,” Mabel said, looking away from him. “I told him that I didn’t see any blood on them, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Grunkle Stan washed you off.”

“Where is he?”

She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Dipper-”

“Don’t avoid the question,” he told her firmly. “Look, I messed up big time. I’ll admit it, just tell me where he went so I can go get him back.”

Finally, his twin looked at him, her expression puzzled. “Dip, what happened? He came back to life after popping the two of you into the mindscape cursing and crying, and he seemed really upset. Like, I’ll-kill-you-if-you-look-at-me-wrong level upset.”

“I don’t care,” he said, shaking his head and moving to stand. His legs were shaky, but they held. How long had he been out? “Where’s Stanley and Grunkle Stan?”

“Downstairs,” Mabel answered, her voice shifting to borderline desperate. “Dipper, you should lie back down, before you overexert yourself.”

“I need answers, and Bill has them,” he said simply. Mabel would understand that, at least. He couldn’t try explaining how he suspected Bill actually owned him. Not even he understood that.

Only two people did. One was a jackass he swore he’d never talk to again, and the other was a chaotic dream demon that he’d fallen in love with and promptly lost all over again.

 _This is_ my _mark, not_ his.

He made his way downstairs, stumbling quicker than he’d thought he would. He passed the Stans in the living room and though he’d initially thought that was his destination, he was wrong.

Bill’s room was completely deserted when he stepped into it though, the bed stripped bare and the illusions the demon had so carefully crafted gone. There was only one other option.

He retreated back to the shack, stopping in the living room this time. “He’s not here anymore, is he?” he asked simply, shifting all of his weight onto one side and crossing his arms.

Stanley hesitated, but Grunkle Stan cut right to the chase. He shook his head, “sorry kid.”

“It’s fine.” Really, it wasn’t.

Ever since he’d woken up, his mind had been _free,_ cleared of the fog it’d been in the last several hours. And now that it was…

Almost nothing he’d done all night had been _him._ The things he’d said, the things he’d _thought,_ it had all been _Tad._

“I may have fucked up a little,” he murmured under his breath as he left to go get a drink from the kitchen.

 _This is_ my _mark, not_ his.

His thoughts turned to Bill Cipher, and he would’ve started crying if he had any tears left to shed. How could he have ever thought about _leaving_ him just hours ago? Even if it _was_ Strange, it still felt like him, and that in turn felt _wrong._

_I have to get him back._

If Dipper knew him half as well as he thought he did, Bill had probably gone to hunt Tad down anyway. That wasn’t much, but it would at least make a solid start.

 _You better not have though,_ he thought, his eyes narrowing. _A good lead or not, if anyone gets dibs on that, it’s **me.**_ Now that his head was free of whatever Tad had done to it, he was thinking more clearly than he had since the phone call.

He froze in his tracks the moment he stepped into the kitchen though, and stared. Sitting on the counter was the pumpkin roll, and the sight of it made Tad's words ring through Dipper's mind.

_You lose everything and everyone you love._

_No,_ he thought. He slowly walked over to the counter and stared down at the dessert, a lump forming in his throat. _Just Bill. It was always him you were after, all along. I was just the scapegoat of your plans._ His stomach churned as he slowly picked up the pumpkin roll. It was burnt on the sides and top, though almost halfheartedly.

It was symbolic, that much Dipper knew from Bill’s personality alone. They had created it together, and now it was destroyed. Just like their relationship, again.

A spot on the roll turned a shade darker, a few more accompanying it moments later, and it took Dipper a minute to realize that he _was_ crying.

He’d done that too much, lately.

“Relax kid,” Grunkle Stan muttered gruffly, setting a hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be back.”

“Stanford’s right,” Lee added in what he probably thought was a soothing tone. “Cipher’s like a dog. He knows where the food is, and he’ll come running home in no time.”

A few days passed without sight of the demon, then a week.

Then two.

Dipper began to wonder if he would _ever_ return. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm......yeah. Sorry.
> 
> Mmkay booksandanime, lemme see....A is kinda up in the air right now, I won't give a clear answer on that one for now - that's up to Bill. B is more than correct, as is C and D is to an extent. I don't want to spoil too much, so again, that's up to Bill to reveal. E....have I told you yet that you'd make a good archer? F is correct because Bill /did/ run away, and I think you knew G was correct the entire time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )


	29. Chapter 29

Two weeks. That's how long it had been since Bill had left, and there was nothing indicating the demon's whereabouts. Tad had gone off the radar, and that left Dipper with no leads on where else Bill could have gone. The forest had been searched thoroughly, every inch combed over with everything Dipper had, and there was still nothing. Bill wasn't in Gravity Falls, and it was beginning to seem like he didn't even exist anymore. Nonetheless, Mabel encouraged Dipper to not lose hope.

After two weeks of searching though, the brunet had been reduced to sitting on his bed and staring blankly at the wall. Work was abandoned; food and sleep practically followed. Pacifica chalked it up to depression and pitied him, and the Stans begrudgingly accepted it with little more than a few words of concern here and there.

_I have to get him back._

Two weeks since he’d vowed to find the demon, two weeks since he’d begun the descent into what was probably an unhealthy fixation.

Dipper sighed and laid back, fixing his gaze on the ceiling. Small as it was, at least it offered a change in scenery. “What time is it?” he murmured absentmindedly, closing his eyes for a few moments. It was about midday, that much he knew. Really, he should have been wondering what day it was.

_If you ever see him again, if you ever even dare talk to him again, I'll rip him to pieces for daring to try taking what's mine._

Where _was_ Bill then, if he hadn’t gone after Tad? From the sound of his words he hadn’t planned on it, but still…

Where else did Bill have to go? His room was still cold, still devoid of any life, and nobody else in Gravity Falls had seen him, that much he knew from sweeping the entirety of the town twice within the first week of the demon’s departure.

“I have to get him back,” he echoed under his breath, a sigh accompanying the words.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on the door then, and his sister’s voice rang out moments later. “Dipper? Can I come in? I brought food.”

“Sure,” he replied hollowly, his voice sounding so quiet to his own ears that he wasn’t sure she heard. The door opened though, and Mabel entered.

“Hey bro,” she said, cracking a grin. “I noticed that you didn’t come down for lunch today, so I thought I’d bring you something!” Her tone was forcefully cheerful, much like the smile she wore.

“Thanks.” Really, when was the last time he’d attended a meal with his family? Not even the fact that Pacifica was staying with them for the break was enough to get him out of his room.

“Okay, so it’s not really lunch,” Mabel confessed with a small laugh, walking over to the bed and setting the plate she was holding down on the nightstand. Once it was settled, she sat down on the edge of his bed. “But I made it fresh, so you should like it.”

Dipper sniffed the air once and grimaced. “Bacon and eggs?” He was hungry, that much he could readily admit, and skipping most meals was really beginning to take its toll on him. Thick foods like bacon, however...

“And pancakes!”

He bit back a groan and slowly sat up, eyeing the food as he did so. Mabel really _was_ sweet. Instead of simply piling everything onto a plate, she’d set the pancake on the bottom of the plate and placed two eggs over it to form eyes, then rearranged the bacon to make a smile. His heart melted in a rush of affection.

“Mabes, this is really nice, but…I don’t think I can handle eating so much right now.”

“It’s fine,” she replied breezily, brandishing two forks from within her sweater sleeve. “I kinda figured you’d make up some excuse like that, so I thought maybe I’d help you out.”

She settled herself on his bed without waiting for a response, sitting crosslegged. “Hand me the plate, bro.”

Dipper reached over and grabbed the food, then handed it to her wordlessly. The entire time, his eyes followed the food and his stomach growled in anticipation as his twin carefully used one of the forks to cut down the middle of the smiley face. Half a pancake, an egg, two slices of bacon. He could manage that, probably.

He- He _could_ manage that, right?

“Dig in!” Mabel exclaimed cheerfully and began eating. Dipper joined in a moment later, taking small bites and eating slowly so he didn’t upset his stomach.

Brunch was a slow-going affair, but somehow Dipper managed to make it through alright. He started off with a few bites of pancake, then switched to a piece of bacon, then the egg. That way, even if he didn’t eat a whole lot, it would look like he had. Sure enough, by the time his stomach was protesting that it was too full, he still had almost three fourths of the pancake left.

Nonetheless, Mabel beamed. “Great job, Bro Bro! Do you wanna wait a bit and then eat some more, or do you wanna get started on shopping?”

“Nah, I think I’m- wait, what?” Shopping? When had he agreed to that? And furthermore, what the hell made Mabel think that he was in any state to go out in public?

“Weeellll,” his sister started, looking away and guiltily twiddling her thumbs. “I noticed last month that you didn’t get a whole lot done, and it’s a little last minute, but I was thinking that it’s never too late to do some holiday shopping?”

He sighed. “Mabel, I-”

“Please?” she burst out, looking at him with desperation in her eyes. “I picked out an outfit for you so all you have to worry about is a quick shower, and it’s just - you haven’t done anything in weeks and everyone’s really worried about you! Maybe coming out with me will convince them that you’re doing better?”

He was silent for several moments before finally sighing again. ”Alright,” he conceded softly. “I’ll go shopping, this once.” He _wasn’t_ doing any better though, and it was dumb to think that this would convince anyone. Still, he admired his sister’s spirit.

Instead of being all bubbly and cheerful about his response like she might have once been, Mabel simply relaxed and gave him a smile. ”Thanks,” she said. “Your clothes are in the bathroom, freshly washed and ready to go.”

Dipper nodded and slowly stood, then made his way out of their shared room to the bathroom. He grudgingly had to admit, it _did_ put a small spring in his step to think of doing something productive after so long of nothing.

In the end, his shower took a good forty-five minutes in between scrubbing his skin and scalp raw and shaving, but he felt refreshed when it was done. The outfit Mabel had chosen for him was an echo of the past, dark blue jean jacket, orange shirt, grey-blue jeans. On the top of the pile rested his pine tree hat, something he hadn’t touched in weeks.

At long last, he finally made his way downstairs. It seemed that Mabel had boasted to everyone about her success, because everyone was waiting for him in the living room.

“Looking good, kid,” Grunkle Stan appraised gruffly the moment Dipper stepped into the room. “Nice to see you out and about again.”

“Yeah,” he responded, not meeting the elder man’s eyes.

The night and day after Bill left, in all of Dipper’s desperation to find Bill, Stan and Lee had been arguing over what they were going to do about him. Ford, despite his later support of Dipper, initially panicked and rationalized that the brunet should turn himself in to the cops. Grunkle Stan had immediately rebuked the idea, defending that Dipper had been _possessed_ and that it wasn’t his fault, and that _“you should know a thing or two about making mistakes under the eyes of demons, Sixer”._ At long last, they’d resolved to let matters lie. It was as Strange had pointed out; the cops would never figure it out because they were too stupid to think it was a code. True to the demon’s words, the police had chalked up the carvings on Lester’s chest to be an act of insanity with the killer still at large.

In all of Dipper’s guilt and nightmares, he was at least safe.

Stanley cleared his throat, and Dipper looked up at him with hesitation in his eyes, unsure of what he would find. “I talked to a few of the townspeople,” was all his grandfather said. “There’s still no sign of Cipher, but they promised they’d give us a call if he turned up.”

“Oh, thanks,” Dipper mumbled, looking down at the ground. “You ready to go Mabel?”

“Ready when you are!” came her chipper response, and Dipper let that be his permission to go wait in the car.

Mabel joined him a few minutes later, slipping into the driver’s side and starting up the car. It was only as they were on their way out of Gravity Falls that Dipper allowed himself to speak.

“Why’s Stanley even helping? Last I knew, he thought I should just forget about Bill.”

When Mabel responded, her tone was careful. “I might have talked some sense into him,” she said slowly, turning down the radio. “Look Dipper, with everything that happened with Strange, Lee couldn’t help but think about that one time Bill was possessing you. He’s worried about you is all, he’s worried about what this could mean for your personality. He thinks that being around demons for so long is beginning to have a negative influence on your psyche or something. I don’t agree per se, but I understand where he’s coming from.”

“Thanks,” Dipper muttered dryly, his eyes narrowing. “Nice to see you lose faith in me too.”

“It’s not like that DipDop, and you know it,” Mabel shot back immediately, her tone lowering.

“Whatever,” the brunet snorted, turning his head to look out the window. “Where are we going anyway?”

"Well..." Dipper glanced back at his twin in time to see her bite her lip nervously. "I was thinking, and I talked a bit to Grunkle Stan and Grandpa Lee, and they agreed to let me take you to the city."

"The city?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow condescendingly. "As in...?"

"How do you feel about maybe seeing Wendy?" Mabel asked quickly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Cause I was thinking, with all this stuff that's been going on, it might be nice for you to get to see some of your older friends again. You know, get you out and about." She didn't say _keep your mind off of Bill,_ but Dipper knew that was what she really meant.

Nonetheless, he found himself relaxing. "That sounds...great, actually," he admitted. "It's been ages."

"Mmhmm," Mabel hummed cheerfully in agreement. "And maybe you can also call Wright, yeah? Go out for breakfast sometime soon or something?"

"Maybe," Dipper agreed, but he doubted that was going to happen. Wright more than likely had his own problems to deal with, without him adding to it.

_Think you can actually manage to keep in touch this time?_

_Or...maybe I will,_ he thought as the younger teen's words rang through his mind. _He'll probably at least want me to let him know that I'm still alive or whatever._

"So, we never actually finished up our Christmas shopping the last time," Mabel pointed out after a few minutes of silence, clearly trying to keep the conversation going.

Dipper snorted, slumping down in his seat. "That's because Seraphine was there."

"Still," his twin continued, rolling her eyes. "How many gifts did you actually buy? I mean, I think I saw one or two bags, but that could mean anything..."

"Pacifica," Dipper responded flatly. "I managed to find a gift for her, and then I thought I found one for Stanley."

"Why didn't you-?"

"It was in the shop Seraphine was in."

"Oh."

They fell silent again for a few minutes. Mabel turned the radio up just a bit as she pulled out onto the highway, quickly recognizing the tune and humming along.

"So are we going to meet Wendy at her apartment, or what?" Dipper finally asked, pulling out his phone and opening his GPS app.

His sister immediately brightened. "Ooh, great idea Dip! You can be the navigator! We're going to meet her at this cafe called Sisters of the Road."

"It sounds girly," he sighed as he typed the name into the GPS.

"Wendy says it's pretty good," Mabel defended with a shrug. "And it's got a reputation for being a good place."

"I trust her judgment," he conceded in a murmur, shifting in his seat. "Do your own navigating though; I'm tired, and probably about to take a nap."

"Speaking of, we're staying the night," his twin mentioned casually, a grin crossing over her lips. "I didn't pack anything for you, and I didn't want to tell you cause I didn't think you'd want to come along."

"Mabel, Portland's only two hours away."

"But we're having dinner with Wendy," she pointed out cheerfully. "And we're planning on shopping, which takes time."

"I highly doubt shopping is going to take all evening," Dipper complained, but he knew her words had merit.

"It won't be so bad," Mabel remarked cheerfully, and internally, he readily agreed.

They drove for a while in near silence, the only sounds being the radio and Mabel occasionally humming along. Dipper settled himself down in his chair and lightly dozed, exhaustion setting in. Staying up for the past few days with a near mindless obsessive amount of research was beginning to take his toll, and he knew that night would likely be the one for the week he'd actually sleep.

After what seemed like only a few minutes but was closer to an hour, Mabel's voice roused him from his nap.

"DipDip, wakey wakey. I think we're getting close."

He exhaled something that was a mix of a sigh and a groan and stretched, not opening his eyes just yet. "Just lemme sleep a little longer," he breathed, wiggling back into the position he'd had before.

"As much as I want to, I can't let you do that," Mabel said in sympathetic tone. "I don't know where the cafe is, and you know I have a strict no-tech policy."

"...You right," he finally mumbled, mustering up the energy to sit up. He opened his eyes and fumbled around for his glasses, putting them on and blinking rapidly.

They were on the interstate still, but exit signs advertising food and gas were becoming more frequent, accompanied by the occasional electronic sign that read _Click it or Ticket!._

"Do you know how many more miles we have left?" Dipper asked through a yawn, grabbing his phone and turning it on.

"Ehh, close-ish to forty-five?" Mabel guesstimated, shaking a hand slightly in a so-so manner. "I saw the signs, but I wasn't paying that much attention to them."

"Nice job," he muttered. Luckily, he hadn't actually instructed the GPS to start navigating, so it was easily able to to start from their current location. "And you're way off Mabes, we've only got half an hour," he added as his phone cheerfully assured him that they were on the fastest route to reach their destination.

"Awesome!" she chirped cheerfully, flashing him a quick smile. "Do you wanna call Wendy and let her know that we're on the way?"

"You didn't even tell her?"

"I did," Mabel hummed. "But I thought _you_ might like to call her, let her know we're almost there."

“Fine,” he sighed, minimizing the app and opening his contacts, scrolling slowly until he reached Wendy’s number. He pressed the dial button and waited patiently for an answer. She didn’t disappoint.

_“‘Sup?”_

“Uh-” He started, cutting off abruptly as whatever he’d planned on saying flew out of his mind. “We’re almost there.”

 _“Oh my_ gosh, _Dipper?! Is that seriously you?”_

“Yeah,” he mumbled, guilt and dread settling in his stomach. "Uh, like I said, we're on the way, sooo....I'll see you there." Quickly, he hung up, his face flushed. He ignored the awkward feelings inside of him though, and focused on the task at hand.

"You need to get into the far right lane, like, now," he told Mabel, looking at the path on the GPS. "Our exit's in like half a mile."

"You couldn't have warned me sooner?!"

"You're the one who told me to call her," he reminded, looking over his shoulder quickly. "Speed up, now."

"Dipper, there's hardly any space!"

"Doesn't matter!" he shot back, his tone rising slightly. "Turn your blinker on; they'll realize what we're trying to do and slow down but you need to hurry, we're _running out of time!"_

His twin snapped something at him that he didn't pay attention to, too focused on the lane they needed to switch into. It was only a couple over, but those two lanes could take forever to travel through if their timing wasn't perfect.

Mabel managed to get to the exit with not a moment to spare, and then they were off the interstate and in Portland. The downtown skyscrapers loomed ahead, the heart of the city.

"Where to next?" Mabel asked, heaving a sigh of relief.

Dipper found himself mimicking her action, glad to be off the interstate. "Go left, up at the stop sign by the four-way intersection."

"Got it."

Silence fell over the vehicle as Dipper willed his heart to beat just a bit slower, marginally surprised that getting to the exit had made him so nervous. As if sensing his unease, Mabel reached over and turned the radio up. Babba's latest single flowed throughout the car, and he couldn't help but grin and sing along, the tension melting away.

"Your call with Wendy was pretty short," Mabel said some time later as they weaved their way through the city, stopping at lights and signs. "What was all that about?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, looking down at his hands. "I just- didn't know what to say. It's been awhile."

"I'll say," she remarked. "Dip, your social skills have gone down the drain if you can't even call _Wendy_ without failing miserably!"

"It's nothing." His tone hardened and he _hated_ to be so crass towards his twin, but the conversation was making him uncomfortable. He glanced down at his phone. "You need to focus, we're about ten minutes away now."

"Alright," she murmured, and the neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

"Turn up here," he finally instructed, studying the GPS.

"Which way?"

"Uh-" He glanced up, then back down. "Left? No, right. You need to turn right."

"You sure?"

"Right," he confirmed with a nod.

Their turn was on a red light unfortunately, and they had to wait until it was green to go.

Dipper used the time they were stopped to look around Portland in mild interest, comparing it to Seattle without meaning to. Where Washington had been gloomy yet somehow upbeat, the city looked cheerful in the daylight, with the bustle of business and progress ringing out in the air. Compared to a small town like Gravity Falls, Dipper could see why Wendy would want to live here.

"It's busy up on this next road," Mabel commented, eyeing the heavy traffic up ahead. "Please tell me we're not gonna have to go on it."

"Sorry," he murmured grimly after a quick glance down at his phone. "I mean, we could just try going straight and then rerouting ourselves, but it'll take longer. Either way, we're going to have to interact with this road at some point. In my opinion, we should just get it over with now, rather than later."

"Alright," she agreed amicably, flipping on her left  turning signal and slowing to a stop at the stop sign.

Looking at the nightmare road ahead, it was hard to see how they were ever going to merge into it. The cars going straight only had to yield, whereas both other sides had an actual stop sign. Busy as it was, it didn’t look like any of the cars were going to let them in anytime soon. Finally, at long last, the traffic began to slow to a stop. Before they could go though, a large black SUV pulled up right in front of them.

“Are you _kidding_ me?” Dipper groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “This _sucks.”_

“Are they allowed to do that?” Mabel wondered as the traffic started back up, just as quickly as before. The twins watched it in dismay, the minutes ticking by with no end to the pattern in sight.

"Just go straight," Dipper finally sighed, annoyed with the vehicles on the road. "God damn, we've been here for seven minutes, this is bullshit."

"You said we need to turn though," Mabel protested.

"I changed my mind," he deadpanned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I never thought I'd say this, but this town needs more stoplights."

"Maybe not more, but one right here anyway," she countered. "Instead of making this a yield and stop sign type thing."

"Just go straight," he repeated after a moment, glaring at the traffic that never seemed to stop. "You know, I'm pretty sure this is illegal."

"I'm gonna turn," Mabel announced, surprising him.

"That's ridiculous, just-"

"I'm gonna do it," his twin cut in determinedly, her grip on the wheel tightening.

"Mabel, that's a bad idea."

"This _road_ was a bad idea."

"This is suicide!" His voice raised slightly, shoes digging into the floor of the car a little harder in anxiety.

"Pfft, I got this," his twin boasted, easing up off the brakes. The car barely rolled forward before she had to slam them again, the traffic on the road ahead unrelenting to them.

"Mabel, we're gonna die!" Dipper screeched, tensing up as he straightened and grabbed onto what would forever be dubbed the "holy shit" bar.

"No we fucking aren't!" She yelled back, stepping on the gas and jerking the wheel to the left. They shot out into the road and onto their lane in what seemed like an impossible feat, the traffic never slowing once.

Somewhere along the way, Dipper had started holding his breath and finally he released, breathing quickly.

"Fucking hell," he gasped, loosening his grip on the overhead bar. "You could have gotten us killed!"

"But I didn't," Mabel said smugly with a little laugh. "That was fun."

"Fun?! If you ever-"

"Relax," she emphasized, glancing over at him. "I've got this bro. Breathe in, then out. Slowly."

He did as she instructed, his heart still beating rapidly. It eventually began to slow though, and he was finally able to relax again.

"You know, you're a shit navigator," she commented after a couple of minutes when they were once again stopped at a light. "Straight here?"

"Straight," he confirmed, glaring at her. "And you're a terrible driver."

"Only when you're the one navigating!" She grinned at him as she spoke, letting him know that she wasn't really that upset. The light changed, and she eased onto the gas. "What's the speed limit, by the way?"

He shrugged, "go with the flow of traffic," he advised.

"I _am_ the flow of traffic," Mabel said confidently, glancing over at him. Her smile softened. "You know, this has been pretty fun, Bro."

"I guess." He shrugged noncommittally. "Cafe's up there, by the way." He pointed to where it was, on the corner of two streets, and she let out a whoop of joy.

"I'm so excited to see her!"

"It'll be nice," he agreed, nervousness settling itself in the pit of his stomach. Mabel pulled the car into a parking spot and turned it off after making sure the windows were up.

"You ready?" she asked cheerfully once they were both standing in front of the building.

"Ready as I'll be, I guess."

They walked into the cafe together, taking in the sights and sounds, the smell of coffee and cookies abound. It was pleasantly busy, the atmosphere upbeat and friendly.

Not unlike the bar had been, Dipper reflected as he looked around. But at the same time, nothing like it.

"Mabel, Dipper!" a familiar voice called from a table in the back, and the twins turned to see Wendy waving them over. She was sitting with a few other people, her college friends if Dipper had to guess.

She'd changed in the few months since they'd seen her last, swapping long locks for a trendier pixie cut. Despite the haircut though, her style had stayed and she wore an old, yet easily recognizable blue plaid overshirt.

"Hey!" Mabel exclaimed, running ahead to the table.

Dipper followed in a normal walk, barely able to catch his sister's only slightly lower-toned "it's been so long!". By the time he made his way to the table, she had already managed to fit herself into the group and was chattering away animatedly, gesturing enthusiastically.

"Hey," he mumbled, raising a hand in half-hearted greeting.

"Hey yourself," Wendy replied, pulling out the chair next to her. "What are you waiting for? Get over here and have a seat."

He did so, and she immediately enveloped him in a quick side hug and playful noogie. It brought forth a small chuckle from him, but not much else.

"So what's up?" she asked when she let him go, looking him over with concern in her eyes. "Dude, you look terrible. Have you lost weight? You're _already_ a stick!"

He shrugged noncommittally. "I haven't been hungry. It's not my fault."

Wendy sighed. "Mabel said you'd make excuses like that. Alright, what did that little fucktard do?"

He glanced at her, surprised that she'd jumped on the subject so quickly. "It's actually-"

"Dipper," Mabel cut in sharply, pausing in her conversation. He looked at her to see a warning in her eyes. "Maybe this isn't a conversation for here?"

"Right," he agreed with a hesitant nod. "I'll tell you later Wendy." He took a second to look around the cafe, ignoring the chatter of Wendy's friends and his twin. "So what is this place?"

"A pretty cool coffee shop that does good for the less fortunate," she replied, taking a sip from a thermos. "Tyler introduced me to it."

"'Sup," the sandy-haired guy sitting on her other side acknowledged with a nod, and Dipper finally snapped out of his funk long enough to actually _pay attention._

"Dipper, these are my friends," Wendy introduced, seeming to notice his shift in focus. "Tyler, Mackenzie, Adrien, and Sophie."

"Hey there," he said, glancing around at them, then down to his lap, embarrassed for being so antisocial. "I'm Dipper."

"The kid with the mark, right?" Sophie asked shyly, and Dipper forced himself to look back up at her.

She was a pretty girl he supposed, tall with short dark brown hair and inquiring dark eyes.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. His stomach churned at the thought of the constellation on his forehead, a constant reminder of Bill. He hoped, _prayed,_ that nobody would ask to see it.

To his luck, Sophie only nodded back sympathetically. "Don't worry too much about it," she whispered to him. "I used to be teased because my ears are pointy; it stops eventually, I promise."

He found himself smiling at her despite his earlier nervousness, and thought that maybe it wouldn't be so bad, socializing a bit more often.

"So you guys are all in school?" he asked, hoping to strike up a conversation of his own. Mabel quickly finished up hers and with a few quick words, went off to grab them something to eat and drink.

"Not exactly," the guy that wasn't Tyler - Aaron? - deadpanned. "I was for a semester, but decided that college wasn't my calling."

"I'm not going either," Dipper offered with a shrug. "It seems pointless to me, with the job I want."

"Mystery writer, right?" Tyler asked with a lopsided grin, his green eyes sparking with intrigue. "Dude, Wendy's told me so many stories about that backwoods town of yours that you could probably write an entire series over it."

"Oh," Dipper flushed lightly, averting his eyes. "M-maybe not _mystery,_ exactly," he coughed. "Sci-fi, maybe nonfiction because of the j-journals-" his breath caught in his throat at the thought of the books, and he found himself unable to continue.

Tyler nodded though. If he noticed the sudden drop, he didn't acknowledge it. "It sounds pretty chill," he said simply.

"I'm a bio major," Mackenzie started, changing the topic. "With a minor in art, that way I can do bio art, but have a legit degree in case the whole art thing goes south."

Mackenzie seemed like the artsy type of person, large abstract earrings dangling from her ears and colorful tattoos decorating her arms. She was short in stature, with cherry red hair and dark blue eyes that might not have been entirely natural.

"Isn't it harder to get a job with tattoos though?" he asked curiously, leaning back in his chair and relaxing at long last.

Mackenzie only shrugged though, her tone nonchalant as she replied. "There's always jobs where I'll be wearing coats or long sleeves anyway. That, or they'll just have to get over it."

"I don't see why they would ever turn you down!" Mabel had returned, carrying two coffee mugs and a bag hung from her wrist. She set one of the mugs in front of Dipper, then flounced back over to her seat. "You are a goddess!"

Wendy chuckled. "Dude, what even is that?" she asked at the same time Mackenzie murmured a surprised, yet appreciative "thanks".

Dipper's stomach growled at the smell of freshly made snickerdoodles, and internally he thanked whoever had decided to make them. If his coffee was anywhere _near_ as good as the cookies smelled, his day would almost be perfect.

Well, as perfect as it _could_ be anyway, what with Bill still being gone and him a murderer at large in all technicalities.

"This," Mabel started dramatically, gesturing to her drink, "is a new one I'm dubbing the Memerday Special!"

"Memerday?" Dipper asked skeptically, staring. The only thing he could actually see of her drink was a towering mountain of whipped cream, topped by chocolate syrup and an ungodly amount of sprinkles, leaving him to imagine that it was hot chocolate.

"It's a work in progress," his twin replied mysteriously.

"Speaking of works in progress," Wendy cut in smoothly with a grin, "I hear you guys have some shopping to do. What say you- wanna do the shopping first, then head back to my place and I'll cook or something?"

"Sounds good!" Mabel said cheerfully, taking a guzzle of her drink. It left behind a whipped cream moustache, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Dipper?" the redhead asked him a moment later, turning her gaze to him. "Are you okay with that idea?"

"Yeah," he replied, giving her a hesitant smile. "It'll be great."

She seemed to realize that he'd lost the mood to talk and thankfully dropped the subject, allowing him to be solitary for a little bit. He listened to the chatter around him for the most part, sipping absentmindedly on his coffee and occasionally taking a bite of snickerdoodle.

Bill. His mind had irrevocably shifted to the demon as it did most of the time, eyes the color of his flame, a smile that could light up the world.

He had to get him back.

How? There hadn't been sight nor sound of the demon since Thanksgiving, and it wasn't like building a shrine and showering it with gifts was going to do anything.

They stayed at the cafe for only half an hour more, enough time to finish the coffee and cookies, and enough time for Wendy to notice Dipper's rapidly spiraling mood.

"Alright guys, we're gonna head out for now," she announced, pushing back her chair and standing. "You still coming over for dinner tomorrow?" she asked Tyler, leaning down and kissing him quickly on the cheek.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he promised with a sweet smile.

They left and Mabel volunteered to drive, an offer Dipper readily accepted despite earlier.

"Wendy's navigating," he mumbled as he buckled in his seatbelt.

"I know where everything is anyway," she replied with a shrug.

The trip to the mall was mostly quiet in the beginning, save for the occasional direction from Wendy. Mabel's driving was much smoother this time, and Dipper chalked it up to his terrible navigating skills.

"Never gonna do _that_ again," he grumbled, scrunching down in his seat and sulking.

"Speaking of," Wendy started, turning to face him with a curious expression, "what the _fuck_ is going on with you guys? Mabel's all "Miss Mystery" over here, and you're a constant stream of doom and gloom."

"It's a long story," Mabel cautioned. "I was thinking later as in-"

"I killed someone," Dipper interrupted, focusing his gaze on anything but his old crush. "Bill left. I have three demons fighting over the woods, and thus me, because somehow _I'm_ connected to it all? It's been a rough few weeks."

Silence. Then, "what the _hell?"_

"Yeah," Dipper muttered shortly. "That murder in Seattle that was all over the news a couple of weeks ago? Me."

"Fucking _hell,"_ Wendy cursed lowly, her expression changing to one of shock. "I thought the symbols looked kinda familiar, but I never- Dipper, _what happened?"_

He proceeded to tell her the story, omitting everything but the absolute basics. The less anyone knew, the better. They'd been parked at the mall for a near ten minutes by the time he'd finished, and the car was so silent that they would've been able to hear a pin drop.

Wendy finally whistled lowly, running a hand through her hair. "That _is_ rough dude," she commented, unbuckling her seatbelt. "And you want him _back?"_

"That's what I said at first," Mabel voiced in sympathetic agreement, glancing back at him as she followed the redhead's actions. "But Dip's in love, and I guess Bill's it for him."

"That's not it," he muttered, getting out of the car. His feelings were only a small part of the reason Dipper wanted the demon back, and he firmly opted to ignore the fact that Bill's side of the bed had become impossibly cluttered with reading material and notebooks in his subconscious efforts to fill the void. Nonetheless, that didn't mean it was his driving point. He wasn't going to tell them the main reason why.

_This is my mark, not his._

They started out their shopping all together, Wendy kind of showing them around, pointing out the better stores to go into and which ones were downright sketchy. When Dipper told her about The Lesser Key of Solomon and the disaster _that_ had been, she merely shook her head.

"Dude, _never_ go into shops like that, there's only bound to be trouble there."

"I didn't know whenever I went in there," he defended. "Plus, it's really rare! Where else am I supposed to find it?"

"Uhh, the internet?"

At some point, Mabel located a candy shop and raced in there, exclaiming something about a "very important gift!!!", leaving Wendy and Dipper to their devices.

"I still needed to find her a gift anyway," he sighed.

"Ooh, I gotcha fam. Get her a yarn swift."

Dipper stopped and stared momentarily. "How did you-"

"Dude, it's on the wishlist on her blog."

"She has a blog? Since when?"

They continued on their way, ending up inside what seemed like the biggest knitting emporium Dipper had ever been in. Being Mabel's twin, that was saying something. He did find a good yarn swift though, and even added a little knit kit.

"Where to next?" Wendy asked as they made their way back out into the sea of people.

He shrugged, latching one arm around hers so they wouldn't accidentally get separated. "I haven't really gotten you anything yet," he mused. "And I don't really know what Grunkle Stan would want..."

"Dude, you don't need to get me anything," Wendy said.

"Alright," he agreed, though he resolved to find something for her back in Gravity Falls. "So what about Stan then?"

"Hmmm.....I don't know, actually. You said you're getting your grandfather the book online? Why not do something similar?"

"Eh, the supernatural and reading isn't really his thing," he replied with a shrug. "I just....don't know, really. What kind of thing do you think he'd like?"

"Hmm..." she perused, drawing her bottom lip in between her teeth. "He's always been really devoted to his family, right? Why not do something with that?"

Dipper deflated, sighing. "Like what? I'm pretty sure the only thing he's ever wanted was the approval of his parents, and I don't even know who they are."

"I'm sure you could find out," Wendy suggested. "Maybe contact them, arrange to fly them out for Christmas? Or, you know. You could do something else and send him on a cruise or something. He's always liked boats too."

"You're right," he murmured thoughtfully, something inside of him twinging at the thought of how alike he was to Grunkle Stan.

Really, the approval and acceptance of _his_ parents would be the best gift in the world probably. Maybe. Bill would probably be an even better one, considering he was the reason the brunet was so bent up out of shape currently.

Wendy cleared her throat, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I'm losing you again," she said with a playful grin, though her eyes betrayed her concern. "Is that it on the gifts?"

"No," he murmured, his heart sinking. "I have to find something for Bill. I have to get him back."

"And you think a gift's gonna do it?" the redhead asked, puzzled. "Dipper, why don't you just summon him and _make_ him talk to you?"

He shook his head. "That would never work. Bill would ignore the summons, he made it clear he never wanted to see or hear me ever again."

"That was in the heat of the moment," Wendy pointed out as they walked into a shop filled with collectables and other odd knick knacks. "Dipper, I'm sure-"

"You didn't see his face," Dipper interrupted, turning and glaring at her halfheartedly. "I- I've never seen him lose his fire that quickly, ever. If he still cared, he would have fought harder Wendy. He just...gave up though, and left. He's gone, and I somehow have to make this right."

"Alright dude," the redhead hummed, unlatching her arm from his and holding her hands up in surrender. "What do you think he'd like, then?"

"Something weird," Dipper replied automatically, scrunching his nose in thought. "But it has to be meaningful, it has to _mean_ something to him. It can't be something just anyone would get him."

"Well, what's Mabel doing?" she asked, moving toward one of the racks with a determined expression.

"Dunno," Dipper replied, moving in the opposite direction. "It doesn't matter though, not even hers is going to be right, plus copying is rude."

He made his way over to the jewelry, wondering what month the demon considered to be his birth month. How long had he been a human?

A moment later, he snorted derisively. A birthstone necklace? Cheesy and cliche, overly so.

He moved on, eyes searching the array of necklaces carefully. Nothing sparkly, it would only offend the demon. Nothing too simple, it had to make sense and have class.

His breath stopped the moment he laid his eyes on _the one,_ at the same time relief flooded throughout him. Carefully, his hand shot out and grabbed the simple charm dangling from it, his fingers caressing the small object.

It was perfect. So incredibly _Bill_ that Dipper couldn't believe he hadn't thought of something like it before. Carefully, he turned the jagged tooth over in his hand as he planned.

"Find something?" Wendy asked, walking up behind him. After a moment's pause, she spoke again. "A shark tooth necklace? Dip, I'm not sure that's going to be good enough."

"Oh, I know it's not." He turned to face her, determination set in his expression. "What I've got planned is better." Wendy raised an eyebrow curiously, and he asked the question that would either make or break the idea.

"Don't you normally go hunting with your family around this time of the year?"

A moment passed, then two, and finally, she grinned widely. "Now we're talking." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Saturday! Posting this just a bit late cause reasons and internet and shiz, but nonetheless, welcome =)
> 
> A quick note to hopefully make you smile - the entirety of Dipper and Mabel navigating was based off experiences Sharon and I have had while driving around in Norman and OKC respectively, with me as her faithful shitty navigator. Another note - that fucking shithole of a road exists. The road leading up to OU in Norman? Never go there on Medieval Fair weekend, we were literally sitting there for about fifteen minutes, with the situation the exact same. Sharon decided to go straight though (the turning thing and "no we fucking aren't!" are a completely different time ^^) and it was risk free. No almost wrecks, and we were fine though a little understandably pissed at whoever did that road. 
> 
> Also, after approximately a minute after talking to MercuryHomophony, I've been recruited into Camp!NaNoWriMo next month, and I'll be working on my next Major project, The Key of Cipher. I don't plan on it affecting Entropy whatsoever, but I'll let y'all know if that ever changes.
> 
> Also! Not sure how many of you are in Oklahoma, but I'm planning on going to Tokyo in Tulsa next month and cosplaying as a slightly too-redhaired Dipper Pines. It'd be awesome to see some other fandomers there!! =D
> 
> Lastly, but never the least, if you've got theories about what's gonna happen or anything, I'd love to hear them! They're honestly my favorite part of writing a chapter, wondering what you guys will think, fantasizing the reactions and then later getting them. So yeah =)


	30. Chapter 30

Finally, after weeks of preparation, Christmas was upon them. The tree had gotten put up and decorated while Dipper was off camping with Wendy and her rambunctious family of perhaps too-manly men. Presents had been wrapped in spare time and carefully hidden from one another, Dipper choosing to stash his under a loose floorboard in his and Mabel's shared room.

As for Bill...still no sign of him. Dipper had all but lost hope completely, and he was beginning to wonder if his gift was going to be enough to somehow entice the demon into returning. Bill had to be keeping an eye on him somehow, right? He'd threatened Dipper on the subject of Tad Strange, which had to mean something.

It had to. Dipper couldn't bear the thought that it didn't.

Slowly, with Wendy and Mabel's encouragement, he'd begun eating a bit more each day, careful not to overdo anything. By the time his twin had announced she was ready to begin working on the necklace of teeth for Bill, he was in a habit of not only eating, but napping and occasionally showering again as well.

Wendy had been right when she'd suggested during the camping trip that it might do him some good.

They'd traveled to an area nicknamed Spring Butte, a hunting site that offered “the most fruitful options” according to Manly Dan. Whatever _that_ meant. The nights had been beyond freezing, even though Dipper had been given the privilege of sharing a tent with Wendy. She was normally like a space heater, but even she had been shivering. The meals were okay, what little Dipper had eaten of them. Some fish here and there, mostly jerky that Wendy had been thoughtful enough to pack.

Nonetheless, despite the cons of the trip, it had done him well. He'd been able to reconnect with an old friend and had spent an oddly large amount of time learning how to meditate, something that had gotten him stuck in his mindscape more than a few times.

Now, just a week later, there were only a few days to go before the holiday. Mabel and Pacifica were staying until the new year, and his present to Grunkle Stan had been set into motion. Through a series of one complicated phone call after another, he'd finally managed to get in touch with the eldest of the Pines family, his great grandparents. They'd been pleasant at first, until he mentioned Grunkle Stan, and then they'd shut down and refused to hear anything more on the subject. Only a few overly sweet yet sharp words from Mabel had been enough to convince them to reconsider.

They were set to fly in the next day, Christmas Eve. He hadn't yet mentioned anything to either of the Stans and had no idea where they were going to sleep.

"There's always Bill's old room," Mabel suggested, looking up from her work. She was carefully drilling a small hole into the near-top of each tooth Dipper had collected on the camping trip, save for the couple of shark teeth he'd taken off another necklace. "You said it was empty, right?" Slowly, he sat up and glared at her until she faltered and looked back down. "Right," she murmured in resignation. "Not an option. Got it. So what are we gonna do then?"

Now, Dipper sighed and flopped back down. "I don't know," he admitted. "They agreed to come over for the holiday, but I don't know how long they're going to stay. I don't know if they're even going to _want_ to stay. This was such a bad idea."

"No it wasn't," Mabel encouraged, glancing up and flashing him a bright smile. She got back to work on the teeth a moment later though, and the smile was replaced with a look of what she still called 'laser focus'. "I'm sure things are going to go well Bro Bro, you're just in the habit of doubting everything you do."

"They haven't seen each other in almost forty years," he pointed out, biting his lip in nervousness. "This could all go very badly, Mabel. You remember how Grunkle Stan and Stanley acted after he climbed out of the portal, right?"

"They were in a fight though," Mabel argued good naturedly. "This is different. Our great grandparents just-"

"Shunned Grunkle Stan for life?" Dipper supplied, his tone skeptical. "You're right, this is _so_ much better."

"There's room for improvement," his twin rebutted. "Once they see the life Grunkle Stan has made for himself, they'll forgive him in a snap."

"I hope you're right," he murmured after a long moment. "Do you think they'd rather just rent a room up at the bed and breakfast?"

Mabel crinkled her nose. "Ew, bro, no. Making them stay there would be a fate more cruel than death at this rate."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Dipper defended. "Those rumors about the bedbugs were already proven false. It was probably made up by a tourist that just wasn't satisfied."

"They're staying here," Mabel said firmly, in a no-nonsense tone. "Paz's butler is going to take care of the dinner Christmas morning. They're going to be here for that, and everything will be just fine."

"I hope you're right," he muttered. "If this blows up in my face, Grunkle Stan will _never_ forgive me."

"Sure he will."

Dipper closed his eyes for a little while as Mabel continued to work on the teeth, enjoying just being near his twin. She hummed every once in a while and it lulled him into a light doze, daydreams blooming to life in his mindscape.

It was almost effortless to go there now. Dipper found that he was able to phase himself there the moment he wanted to, given that he was relaxed and that he actually wanted to go. Rather than continue looking through the books of the library though, he'd finally found the door that led outside. It was a grassy meadow at first, but could become whatever he wanted it to.

Some days, he was content to lie down in the soft grasses and close his eyes for a little while as he basked in the sunlight. Others, his mindscape shifted into the woods and he walked through there. It was comforting, despite the ache that accompanied thoughts of Bill. There were no other living creatures in this version of the woods for some reason, so trying to do any research was a moot idea.

At one point Dipper even went into the ocean. He’d been surprised when he opened his eyes and found himself standing on the beach, but it had been a good kind of surprise. The sand had been soft and warm under his toes when he took off his socks and shoes. The sunshine was pleasant, and there was a light tropical breeze that blew onto him _just right_ and felt amazing against his skin.

On a whim he'd decided to go for a swim, to see if it was even possible. The water had been almost like a shock, cool instead of the freezing chill he was sure he'd face. After the few seconds it had taken him to adjust, he'd gone under.

Breathing was an option, in the mindscape. So long as one could trick their mind into believing and _knowing_ that they were really okay, that they wouldn't die, then they really wouldn't.

Once he'd learned and reinforced that into his mind, it was almost effortless to explore the new world that was the sea. There were breathtaking plants growing into full reefs just under the surface of the water that gave way to endless stretches of ocean floor. All kinds of fish and sea creatures swam about, paying Dipper no mind. They couldn't see him after all, but he could see and touch them. It had been one of his best nights in the mindscape, and he constantly found himself longing to return.

"-ey, Dipper. Dipdop. Brosef. Broski. Bro. Snap out of it."

Dipper opened his eyes with a small, startled gasp as he came back to himself. Mabel was staring at him with a concerned expression on her face, her drill held up and at the ready. For what, he didn't want to even think about.

"I'm fine," was the first thing he said, the words coming to him automatically. It had become something like a signature term for him, something he spoke so frequently that it was the first response he usually made to anything.

"That's great," she replied with a bemused smile. "But I wanted to let you know that I'm on the last tooth. Are you sure you really want to do this? It's the only one I have and I don't want it to go to waste."

"It'll be okay," Dipper reassured, sitting up and examining the small tooth that rested on the middle of the desk. "There will be more eventually."

Mabel's nose crinkled in distaste. "Yeah, but those will be old and gross."

"I thought you never passed up a scrapbook-ortunity?"

"You're right." She considered it for a few minutes. "Still, your own? I get all the animal teeth, but Dipper..."

"It's a part of me," he replied, his voice dropping down barely above a whisper. "It could _mean_ something to him Mabes, if I show him that I'm willing to give him myself."

An eyebrow arched and she sighed. "Dip, I think you're becoming obsessed with this. Forget the journals and paranormal, Bill's becoming unhealthy for you. I can't condone that."

"I have to fix my mistakes."

"Then _fix them,"_ she emphasized gently. "You can make him the center of your universe, but don't make him _it._ You have to live apart from just him, no matter how much you might think differently. You have to not obsess over this. If it works, good. If not, dust yourself off and move on, maybe try again later. I don't want to always worry about you, Bro."

“You don’t need to,” he replied lowly. “This will work Mabel, it _has_ to. And then, once it does, everything can go back to the way it was before.”

“I....don’t think it works like that Dipper,” his twin said hesitantly after a moment. “Even if this does supposedly ‘work’ and Bill comes back, what’s it going to really accomplish? There’s no guarantee he’ll forgive you, just like there’s no guarantee he’ll stick around for very long. On the chance that he does forgive you again and decide to stay, that still can’t mean that things will go back to the way they were before Thanksgiving. You can’t change the past, Dipper. And every time we tried, it only messed things up more.”

There was silence for several moments before Dipper finally responded, his tone quiet and resigned. “I don’t want to change it,” he murmured, his gaze fixating on a spot on the floor. “Not anymore. It’s just…”

“I get it,” Mabel said softly, swiveling around in her chair and focusing her attention back on the necklace of teeth. “Last chance to back out of this, though.”

“Go ahead,” he said hollowly, fixing his gaze on the tooth.

Mabel quickly drilled a small hole into the tooth, then held it up for him to see. As per her usual, it had been done perfectly and there wasn’t any damage to the tooth to be seen. He nodded in satisfaction.

“So.” Mabel stated after a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly even though a half smile graced her lips. “Tomorrow’s the big day, huh?”

Dipper nodded, swallowing nervously. “I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to sleep tonight, to be honest,” he confessed. “I’m so nervous, Mabel. What if this goes terribly?”

“I’m sure it won’t,” she soothed, even though a hint of doubt flashed through her expression. “Things will probably be okay, Dip-Dip, even if I do have to use a few get-along sweaters.”

Dipper chuckled. “You know those don’t work half as well as you claim they do, right?” he pointed out. “Anyway, thanks for your help with the teeth, Mabes. It’s getting late and I should at least _try_ resting some.”

“Alright,” she murmured with a small smile, powering down the drill and setting it on the desk. “That’s all then? You don’t want me to help string them together?”

Dipper smiled back. “Nah, but thanks. I’ve gotta figure out the order I want the teeth to go in first, and there’s no telling how long that’s going to take.”

“Better figure it out soon then,” his twin teased as she stood and stretched. “You’ve pretty much got tomorrow to finish this, and I don’t see there being too much time to do so.”

“I will,” he replied, stretching an arm to flick off his lamp. He then buried himself under the covers and turned to face the wall. “Night Mabes.”

“Night bro bro,” came her gentle response.

Dipper closed his eyes and worked to clear his mind, to enter the meditative state he’d mastered while camping. From there he went into the mindscape, and at long last his body fell into rest.

* * *

 

The first time Dipper opened his eyes the next morning, his alarm clock read 3:44, a good three hours before it was set to go off. Nonetheless, his body decided that it was awake, and so he was in turn.

 _Food,_ he reminded himself blearily, slowly clambering out of bed. _Don’t forget, you need to eat something before you head to the airport. It’s not good to drive on a completely empty stomach._

He headed downstairs to the kitchen, surprised to find the light already on. Stanley was sitting at the table, reading the paper and sipping on a cup of coffee. He looked up in surprise when Dipper entered, clearly not expecting anyone else to be awake.

“Good morning Dipper. Couldn’t sleep?”

Dipper shrugged in response. “More like my body decided it was done sleeping for the night. The coffee fresh?”

His grandfather nodded, and he crossed the room to the coffee pot, nabbing a mug from the cupboard and pouring himself a cup. Tentatively, he took a sip and smiled in satisfaction. Hot and strong, just the way he liked it. When the cup was perfectly topped off, he joined Stanley at the table.

“Any interesting headlines?” he asked curiously, nodding toward the paper.

Lee sighed and folded the paper up, then set it down on the table. “Just the usual. Crime and political propaganda. They’re still searching for you, technically.”

Dipper guiltily shifted his gaze to the table as silence returned to the room, at a complete loss for words. He wanted to apologize again, but what good would it do at this point? _Sorry_ wouldn’t change the past, and it certainly wouldn’t bring Lester Sharpe back to life.

Stanley cleared his throat. “Anyway. You’re still up awfully early, even if you did already get some sleep. What’s the occasion?”

Dipper shrugged, glancing back up and taking a small sip of coffee. “None really,” he lied. “Just - Christmas Eve, and all. Last minute gift preparing to do and stuff.”

Lee nodded, as if the information were life changing. “I see. What gifts to you have left?”

Dipper grinned. “Trying to figure out what I got for you?” he teased good-naturedly. “Too bad; I won’t say anything.”

His grandfather huffed and rolled his eyes, picking the paper back up and pretending to be interested in it. “Not like I care anyway,” he mumbled. “Gifts are trivial anyway.” He took a long sip of coffee and finished it, then set the mug a small distance from where it had originally sat.

Dipper chuckled. “Speaking of gifts, I think I need help with one of them.”

“Which one?”

“Bill’s.” His voice got really soft then, subdued, and he _despised_ it. Nothing to be done about it though, other than continue on as if it’d never happened. He cleared his throat, and was relieved when his voice came out strong once more. “I was thinking that if anyone would know him better than me, it’s you.”

Stanley considered his words for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. What do you need help with then?”

“Hold on.” Dipper pushed back his chair and stood, draining his coffee mug and setting it down on the table. “I’m gonna go get the materials for it real quick.”

He left the kitchen and headed back upstairs, hardly daring to believe his luck. Thanks to Stanley, Bill’s gift would be finished likely within a couple of hours, and then he could leave to set Grunkle Stan’s present into motion.

 _Today’s gonna be a good day,_ he thought with a small smile as he gathered up all the teeth in one hand, and the string and beads in the other. _I can just feel it._

True to his prediction, the necklace was finished quickly once he brought Stanley into it. Figuring out how to arrange the black and yellow beads around the nine teeth took some time, but finally they were able to come up with a pattern that satisfied Dipper.

His tooth was the one that would rest in the middle, a black then yellow bead on either side of it. The next tooth to follow would be the coyote teeth he’d nabbed while camping, followed by another black bead. To keep some variety, the deer teeth would be next with a yellow bead, then the bear with a black, and finally, the two elk teeth. When the necklace was finally finished, Dipper held it up so he could admire it.

“You’re sure this is what you want to get him?” Stanley asked, an eyebrow raised. He looked faintly creeped out, and it made Dipper grin.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I think it’s just the kind of thing Bill would like.” Feeling suddenly unsure of his idea, he set the necklace back down on the table. “Don’t you?”

“He’d certainly find it- um, fascinating,” Stanley muttered, coughing once to hide how uncomfortable he was. “It’s just- it’s weird, that you’d think of _this_ to give him.”

Dipper shrugged and stood, stretching. “It’s the only thing that makes sense to me,” he said simply, picking up the necklace. “Thanks for the help.”

He took the gift back upstairs and set it carefully in the first drawer in his desk, then turned to survey the room and check the time. 5:53. He turned off the alarm and grabbed his wallet and car keys, intent on heading out. The plane was set to arrive in Medford by eight, but the extra time would easily give him a chance to grab some breakfast while he was there, and search for any signs of Tad or Bill.

He spared one last glance at Mabel before leaving. She’d wanted to come with him when he went to pick up their great grandparents, but she looked so comfortable and it would be a shame to wake her up. His mind made up, he quietly left.

* * *

 

_“Now boarding Flight 1272, gate 28.”_

The airport was _packed,_ something Dipper should have anticipated because it was a holiday, but tragically hadn’t. People milled around every which way, most going through security to leave, but some having just arrived too. The stores were full and the tables at the eating areas just before security were all full.

Resigned to an hour or so of waiting, Dipper chose a square pillar close by where people were exiting and sat down, his eyes scanning the crowd carefully to make sure his great grandparents hadn’t arrived early. After a few minutes, he checked his phone for any new text messages or missed calls. There were none. He sighed, cracking open the book he’d nabbed from his car before coming in.

It was going to be a long wait.

At first while he read, he glanced up every few minutes to look over the crowd for anyone that looked out of place or lost. He also glanced at his phone periodically, but there was never anything new.

Eventually, he gave in to temptation and lost himself within the world of the book. All sound blended together and eventually became entirely mute. Time was irrelevant. There was nothing but the words on the pages, the story playing itself out before his very eyes.

“You must be my great grandson,” came a sudden gravelly voice from above.

Dipper looked up with a small gasp, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. Before him stood a tall, bulky old man with sparse white hair and dark eyes. He was decently wrinkled, but still carried enough strength that it was obvious he wasn’t one to be messed with. Beside him was a lady with wispy grey hair in a wheelchair that looked considerably more frail, even though her blue eyes sparked in a silent challenge.

“You look just like Stanley did when he was your age,” Filbrick Pines continued in an almost monotone, sounding disinterested. “Always going around with his nose buried around in a book.”

“Where’s your twin?” his great grandmother inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly. “I was looking forward to meeting her; she had such... _personality_ over the phone.”

“Home, sleeping,” Dipper replied politely, closing his book and standing. He extended a hand. “Even though you already know my name, I’m Dipper.”

His great grandfather took it and shook once, firmly. “Filbrick.” His grip was almost crushing, reinforcing the idea that he wasn’t a person to be crossed.

His great grandmother on the other hand, though she had the same firm shake, held his hand in a delicate manner. “Caroline,” she murmured. “Though I prefer Carrie.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you both,” Dipper said honestly. “Where’s your luggage?”

“Baggage claim,” Fibrick explained, waving a hand in dismissal. “One of the staff will be bringing it, since I don’t trust anyone else with my wife. They were only too happy to offer.”

 _Right._ Dipper raised an eyebrow skeptically. His great grandparents didn’t _seem_ like bad people, but it had more than likely been effortless for Filbrick to ‘convince’ the poor staff to fetch their luggage.

“How was your flight?” he asked in an attempt to make light conversation.

“Long,” Carrie complained, groaning. “And rough. Too much turbulence.”

“I’m sorry,”  he sympathized. “You’ll be able to rest when we get to the shack.”

“Shack?” Filbrick questioned, looking unimpressed.

 _Whoops,_ Dipper thought guiltily. _Not the best way to make a good first impression on them._ “It’s just a nickname,” he explained dismissively. “You might have heard of The Mystery Shack? It’s a pretty popular tourist attraction here in Oregon.”

“Hmmph,” Filbrick grunted while his wife perked up considerably.

“A tourist trap, then? A scam?”

“Er- yeah,” Dipper mumbled, absentmindedly wondering where this was going. “I’m planning on taking it over someday.”

“F-Filbrick Pines?” A tentative voice asked, interrupting the conversation. It was a man dressed in a red suit, one of the staff members. “I have your luggage, sir. Would you like any assistance taking it out today?”

“No thanks,” Dipper answered for his great grandfather, moving forward to take the two suitcases. “Thank you for your help.” Internally, he was grateful that the previous conversation had been interrupted; Filbrick seemed like the ridiculing type, and he already got enough of that from his family.

“My car’s this way,” he stated, beginning the walk to the exit. “I’m glad to see that you’re both a bit bundled up; it’s pretty cold outside. The heater in my car works, though.”

“Good to know,” Carrie said. “I’ll have you know, the cold hurts my bones, so this ‘shack’ of yours had better be warm too.”

“It will be,” Dipper promised. “I’ll even text Mabel ahead of time, so we can make sure accommodating you goes as smoothly as possible.”

There was silence for a good few minutes as they got to the car and set about settling in for the drive. Filbrick placed Carrie in the backseat himself, tasking Dipper with folding up the wheelchair and putting it into the trunk.

He had a cane, Dipper noticed, his heart twinging. Much like Bill did, even though he had more of a reason to have one than the demon ever did.

He closed the trunk gently and got into the car, pushing his emotions to the back of his mind. Before starting it up, he sent a quick text to Mabel, letting her know that he was on his way, and asking her to situate Pacifica in their room for the time being. He also included a reminder to make sure the house was toasty, but that was hardly needed.

He started up the car and turned the station to an instrumental one, then turned it down. Instrumental music carried the least chance of somehow offending his great grandparents, and would help him keep his cool while driving.

There wasn’t a whole lot of talking on the way to Gravity Falls, something Dipper wasn’t sure if should count as a blessing or not. He tried to formulate an opinion of his great grandparents along the way, but so far...all he could think was that they were just indifferent. Cold.

He sighed as his mind continued to wander, second guessing what he had thought was a good idea. There were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, that likely _would_ in a heartbeat, much to Dipper’s concern.

“Your twin.” Carrie finally piped up after about a half hour of driving. It almost made Dipper jump, but he luckily managed to keep his cool. “Tell me about her.”

“Well,” he started calmly, not taking his eyes off the road for a moment. “Her name’s Mabel, as you guys already know. She loves pet pigs, has a really old one named Waddles. I honestly don’t know how he’s still alive. He doesn’t live at the shack anymore though. It got too small for his liking, so to keep him happy, Mabel keeps him on a friend’s farm.” He realized that he was rambling, and paused. “She also likes crafts, like, a lot. She’s going to school to be a designer. Makes her own clothes. You guys can probably expect to be gifted a sweater.”

At this, his heart almost stopped. Gifts. Crap. In all of his haste on planning out _this_ present, and focusing (he wouldn’t call it obsessing, _ever,_ no matter how much Mabel insisted it was) on Bill’s disappearance and how the hell he was supposed to get him back, he hadn’t thought once about presents for his great grandparents.

 _Sure,_ there was more to Christmas than gift giving; it was about _family_ and _being together,_ but society had evolved it be so much more and with that evolution came standards, and unfortunately for Dipper he was severely lacking when it came to meeting those standards.

Hm. He’d have to scrape together something. Maybe if this visit went well, he could count that as a gift to them too? Or maybe Mabel would think of something?

“I see,” Carrie murmured. “And what of you, Dipper? What are you like?”

“Grandpa Stanley, apparently.” He cracked a grin, absentmindedly wondering why Filbrick wasn’t joining in on the conversation. “I really do like to read, though. And mystery hunt, although I’m not sure how much you know about all that junk.”

“We haven’t seen either of our sons in years,” his great grandfather said in a gruff tone. “Stanford since before then, when he ruined his brother’s shot at a good future.”

The car fell silent. After a few moments, Dipper coughed uncomfortably. His face felt hot, and he was sure it was flushed.

“Come now,” he protested cautiously. “Maybe it’s not the future he dreamed of having, but I think he’s happy where he ended up.”

“You live in a _shack,”_ Filbrick pointed out. “Hardly a home fit for raising a family.”

“Then you should be pleased to know that my father wasn’t raised in it,” Dipper bit out, his mood turning more sour. What _was_ it with fathers? “And I happen to like it. It’s more of a home to me than the house I grew up in.”

“Hmmph,” Filbrick grunted in response. Once more, the car fell to silence.

This time, it stayed until they reached Gravity Falls.

“What kind of a place is this, anyway?” Filbrick asked in an almost mocking way as they passed a gnome crossing sign.

“A giant tourist trap,” Dipper answered, struggling by this point to remain patient. “We’re more centered around the supernatural than most other places, so blatant references to it are kind of common around here. Either way, we’re almost home.”

 _Just three more minutes,_ his inner voice chanted. _Thank god._ Where Dipper had been unsure at first, now he knew.

There was no possible way this was going to end well.

The moment he pulled into the driveway and turned the car off, he was out the door and moving to grab his great grandparents’ luggage. First came Carrie’s wheelchair, which he carefully unfolded on the porch of the shack and then made sure it was stable. Even if he wasn’t sure how he felt about his newly-introduced relatives, it wouldn’t do for either of them to get hurt while they were here.

“Here you go,” he said politely to Carrie, who was already on her feet and looking like she wanted to settle back down. Filbrick stood by her side as support, his cane allowing him to stand strong.

“Thank you,” his great grandmother said, though he noticed she was beginning to look irked - most likely, it was the cold.

“You guys go on in, and I’ll bring the suitcases after,” he offered, giving them a smile.

“We’ll wait for you,” Filbrick insisted in a no-nonsense deadpan. “Go on ahead.”

Mentally cursing, Dipper hurried up and got the suitcases out of the trunk, then up onto the porch. “No problem,” he told his relatives, his tone somewhat dry despite his mental vow to keep things pleasant. He braced himself for the worst possible scenario, then slowly opened the door.

“Guys, I’m home!” he called out as he stepped inside, making sure to tap the snow off his boots beforehand. The luggage would probably track some in, but that couldn’t be helped. “I brought company!”

“What are you tal-” Grunkle Stan froze in the doorway he’s just appeared in, his eyes growing wide as his face paled at the sight of his parents. Stanley was right behind him and when he saw the reason for his brother’s sudden pause in words, the mug he was holding slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor, shattering.

“Dipper.” Stanley sounded oddly choked up, disbelieving. “What’s all this?”

“Dipper!” Mabel’s voice called out cheerfully and moments later came the rhythmic _thump thump thud_ of her running down the stairs. She ran into the entryway in a flurry of glitter and holiday-themed sweater, brushing past Grunkle Stan and Stanley to stand in front of their great grandparents.

“Hi!” she exclaimed brightly, sticking out a hand. “My name is Mabel; which rhymes with table and glable and schmabel, even though I’ve been told those last two aren’t words. I like warm hugs, and I’ve been so crazy excited to meet you guys!”

For the first time that day, Carrie smiled, _really_ smiled. She took Mabel’s hand and shook it once, just like she had with Dipper even though she seemed a lot nicer about it now.

An eye twitched in annoyance. Why did everyone have to like his sister more than him?

“It’s wonderful to meet you dear,” Carrie said gently, the annoyed tone from earlier gone. Hopefully, it meant the house was warm enough to fit her standards.

“Yes, nice to meet you,” Filbrick said gruffly. He didn’t take Mabel’s hand, something that caused the smile on his twin’s face to fade slightly. She wasn’t one to be deterred though, and her expression was twice as bright in an instant.

“Welcome home! I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t really sure about this when Dipdop here first brought it up, but-”

“You did _what?”_ Grunkle Stan interrupted, finally coming out of his stupor. He turned a reproachful glare onto Dipper, the iciness of it making the brunet look down in guilt.

He coughed, glancing up for just a moment. “Uh- Merry Christmas?” Instinctively, he ducked past his great uncle and grandfather, taking the suitcase to the room that had been occupied by Pacifica until that morning. Thanks to Mabel’s insight, the room had been cleaned and the bedding freshly laundered. Overall, considering that this was likely the best bed in the house, his grandparents should at least have one less reason to complain.

Once the suitcases were set by the bed, there was really little more to do other than go back downstairs. Dipper really didn’t want to go back there if it meant tension and trouble, but the alternative was hiding out in his room and leaving Mabel to deal with yet another mess he’d made.

In that moment he envied Pacifica for not having to deal with any of it. She was likely chilling in the twins’ room, listening to music or skyping with her parents or something, not a worry in the world.

Tentatively, he went back downstairs. Things- luckily, dare he say it- hadn’t changed much, aside from the atmosphere. His twin stood against a wall, nervously biting her lip. Grunkle Stan was facing off against Filbrick and Caroline, and though no words were exchanged, they waged war with their eyes. Grandpa Stanley hovered behind, looking unsure of what to do.

“Kids, get out of here,” Grunkle Stan said firmly the moment Dipper stepped into the room, his jaw tightening. “I believe my brother and I need to have a word with my parents.”

Looking grateful for the reprieve, Mabel quickly joined Dipper and together, they retreated upstairs.

“Well that got awkward real quick,” his twin mumbled under her breath as they walked to their room.

“What even happened?” Dipper asked curiously as they stepped inside. True to his prediction, Pacifica was lounging on his bed with her eyes closed, earphones in.

“I hardly even know at this point!” Mabel exclaimed quietly, gesturing wildly with her hands.  “After you left, Filbrick made a comment about how nice it was to see Grunkle Stan again, and then he stepped forward and nudged me out of the way, and then they just stared at each other!” She made a small noise of indignation, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Old men! Seriously!”

Dipper laughed and took a seat on his bed, prompting Pacifica to open her eyes and sit up. She took out one of her headphones, smiling grimly at them.

“Hey guys. I take it the real fun has just begun?”

Dipper nodded, laying back and crossing his arms under his head. “I’m starting to think that this was the worst idea I’ve ever had.”

“Nonsense!” Mabel soothed, even though she looked just as doubtful. “This needed to happen eventually Dipper. They just need to talk things out is all.”

“And how long do you think that’s going to take?” Pacifica asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

“Not too long,” his twin replied confidently, throwing herself onto her bed, her arms outstretched. She gestured for Pacifica to join her, and the blonde did so happily.

For a moment, Dipper thought of Bill, and how they’d shared a bed for the last few weeks the demon had been around. How late at night when Bill was sure he was asleep, he’d play with the brunet’s hair and talk about everything and nothing; how sometimes Dipper would wake up and he would still be sleeping, drooling on the pillow he’d claimed as his from the very start.

Swallowing down the painful memories, Dipper nodded. “Hopefully not too long,” he echoed.

Hours passed.

All was mostly quiet downstairs, but then, Dipper supposed it _would_ be. Filbrick had seemed like the strong, silent type, and arguing in loud tones didn’t seem his style. One or twice there was a period of time where there were raised voices, but at long last, everything fell completely silent.

“...Do you think it’s safe to go back downstairs yet?” Mabel murmured contemplatively after a few minutes.

“Maybe,” Pacifica said boredly. “It’s worth a shot at any rate. You wanna come with, Dipper?”

“Nah,” he said quietly. He’d taken to reading a while ago and was getting close to the end of the book by then, closer to figuring out the mystery. “I think I’ll pass. It’s getting kind of late anyway, and I’m getting kind of tired.”

“Alright.” Pacifica stood, taking Mabel with her. “We’ll bring you up some dinner or something, okay?” They left, and Dipper was alone with his thoughts and the book.

He read for a little while longer, getting more tired as time wore on. Mabel and Pacifica still hadn’t come back yet, so he took it as a sign that things really were okay downstairs. That, or else they’d just fled somewhere else so Dipper could be alone.

Either way, he was grateful.

He finally finished the book around eight and settled down for bed, thinking absentmindedly that dinner could wait for a few hours when he woke up next, or for when he was actually hungry. It was almost odd how tired he was, but he chalked it up to driving to Medford and back, and then tension between his relatives. Surely, that had to be it. Whatever the real reason was, sleep came to him easy.

_He was in the woods. The sky was dark and the moon shone bright, though cold and unforgiving like the chill seeping through his tee shirt and shorts._ _Dipper looked around, wondering if he could manipulate the dreamscape to be warmer, or imagine some better suited clothes on himself. Strangely, neither worked._

_He frowned. Something wasn’t right, and this was no normal dream._

_“Hello?” he called out tentatively, taking a few steps forward. The snow crunched under his shoes quietly, the only other sound in the not-dream. “Anybody out there?”_

_There was no reply. Puzzled, Dipper kept walking forward. There was surely_ some _reason for him to be here, right? Or_ was _this just a normal dream, made weird by his clearly fatigued body?_

_“Oh, if only, Sapling.”_

_Dipper whirled around to face the direction the voice had come from, his heart beating a million times faster._

_Tad Strange. He was here, confirming that this wasn’t just a dream. It was something the demon_ wanted _him to see, but why? What was the point of this?_

 _Dipper groaned, another realization becoming apparent to him._ “Another _holiday? Seriously, what’s your deal with them?”_

_“Well-” In an instant, the indigo demon was standing before him, looking no different from the last time they’d met. He smirked. “You see Sapling, you’re in quite the predicament here, aren’t you?”_

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dipper shot back instantly, squaring his shoulders. He refused to let this happen again, refused to play Tad’s game._

_“You see,” Tad continued in an almost bored tone, picking at his fingernails. “You miss your dear Bill, don’t you?”_

_At that, Dipper’s heart stopped for a moment._ This isn’t real, _he reminded himself firmly._ Don’t listen to him.

_“You know Sapling, I find it hilarious, the things you’ll deny when they’re right in front of you. Like what your dear sister says, that you’re obsessed with the demon that is Bill Cipher. No matter, though. I believe I can help you with that.”_

_“You don’t want to help me,” Dipper snapped, anger quickly rising up. “All you care about is yourself!”_

_“Very perceptive,” Tad murmured, almost as if he were complimenting him. “I do care about myself Sapling, and the deal I want to offer you will benefit the both of us greatly. You see, you have something I’ve had my eye on for quite some time.”_

_The brunet stiffened, alarm bells ringing within his mind. This didn’t sound good and he needed to find a way out, but_ how?

_“What do you want?” he finally settled for asking, his eyes narrowing._

_“That amulet you never take off,” Tad said simply, stepping forward. Dipper took a step back. “I want it, Dipper Pines. It has elements of protection on it, something I need. And for you-”_

_He waved one of his hands around and suddenly there was a projection shimmering in the air, depicting a scene from the waking world._

_“I suppose you know what this is, then?” Tad purred, and the image came into focus._

_“Bill…” Dipper breathed, unconsciously taking a step forward. Tears sprang to his eyes, but refused to fall._

_The demon was kneeling on the forest floor in what looked like an uncomfortable position. Chains surrounded him, binding him where he was and rendering him motionless. Upon Dipper saying his name, he looked up._

_“You!” he snarled, narrowing his red-rimmed eyes. “I didn’t_ want _you to come looking for me, Pine Tree.”_

_Dipper bit his lip. That was him all right...had he been crying? How much of his words were true, and how much were just from emotion?_

_“How long have you had him?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the projection. The more details he studied from it, the more real it seemed until finally it resonated in his mind that while Tad Strange had faked a lot of things, this was not one._

_Tad grinned sharply. “Since the night he left. Was more than happy to put up a fight at first, but it was easy enough to beat it out of him.”_

_Dipper nodded once. “Alright, so this deal you want to make - that’s it? My necklace in exchange for Bill?”_

_“Hold up, I’m not-”_

_Tad held up a hand, silencing whatever protest Bill had been about to make. “It’s more than that. You see, you’re in love with Cipher and while that should be enough to get you to make this deal on your own, I’m not convinced. So now I’m going to play my final cards in a winner-takes-all game. I can control you, Dipper Pines. I know where you live. I can get to your family at any given time. Give me the amulet, and all that goes away.”_

_“Don’t do it,” Bill immediately said, his eye narrowing. “Pine Tree, don’t be stupid, I’m not worth-”_

_With a wave of a hand, the projection disappeared._

_“Of course he chooses now to get chatty,” Tad huffed, rolling his eyes._ _“So, what do you say, Sapling?”_

_Dipper shook his head, going with what his gut was telling him for once. “I can’t. That’s- Bill would-”_

“Forget _what Cipher would do,” Tad snapped, his eyes flashing. “You’re already forgetting, Pine Tree, that you’re_ my _puppet. I can make you do whatever I like, at any given time. On top of that, this isn’t just about you anymore, it’s about_ them. _Do you really think it’s worth holding on to?”_

 _He didn’t say anything. Tad had him there and no matter what Bill might have thought, the indigo demon was right. A necklace meant nothing, in comparison to the guaranteed safety of his loved ones and himself, the safety of_ Bill.

_Really, he had no choice._

_“The amulet, in exchange for Bill’s life and your and your precious family’s safety.” Tad said, reiterating his terms. “You have one hour. Don’t leave me waiting.”_

With a gasp, Dipper awoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Late Tuesday, my dear readers! =D For starters, major major shoutout this chapter to the awesome and ever-talented Featheredkit, who inspired me to get into gear these past couple of days and get the chapter finished - it literally went from two-thousand-something words on Friday to over 7,000 by yesterday. So thanks!! =D
> 
> So, since this is my space to talk about everything and anything I want, I'm gonna gush about TnT. As some of you might hopefully know, it's a massive anime convention called Tokyo in Tulsa, and I happened to attend last month as Dipper Pines. I had a great time and it was great to get to hang out with the other Fallers that were there, especially on Saturday when we had our impromptu meet-up. Not gonna lie though, 90% of the time, my friends were trying to get me to get over my shyness and go up to one of the GF cosplay groups and just TALK to them and I was literally a stumbling mess until we had said meet up.  
> I remember I was walking around in the vendor room and I ran into Waffel-Haus' cosplay group and I think(?) one of them asked for my photo or something, or I'd stopped to compliment the Take Back the Falls flag again (that was some seriously awesome shit!!) and someone stopped us for our photo and then we went our separate ways I think, and somehow we all just ended up running into one another and then BILL was leading the group around so we could find /more/ Falllers and hang out and we were walking through the main hall chanting the theme song at the top of our lungs, and it was all very beautiful. We played Spin the Bill (which is NOT what it sounds like xD) and did the Lamby Lamby dance and got a group photo, and I loved every moment of it. Also featured, the Pines twins got thrown into jail and we were chanting "PINES PINES PINES PINES!" at the top of our lungs and then Bill was all like "BILL BILL BILL BILL!" and then Bill got thrown into jail too and we paid to keep them there. Hanging out with the group also gave me the chance to break out of my shyness, and I walked away from the con with some new friends, a good few new awesome art pieces, and some of the best memories. 
> 
> Con aside though, there's next to no excuse for this being so late. I tried my hand at NaNo - The July Edition and failed quite spectacularly, even though I broke ground for my next big project. I'm calling it a partial win =) Like I said, this chapter? All thanks to Featheredkit (who, speaking of, writes Love is Stupid - totally recommend you guys check it out if you haven't already! Reader beware though, there be feels. Many many feels). 
> 
> I think....that's all, for this chapter. The next will be done at some point in time, hopefully soon-ish since a good chunk of it is already written, and I'm really hoping you guys will like where I take it =)
> 
> PS: Voltron is a thing. I heavily advise you enjoy the thing. Space. Gays. Gays in Space. Need I say more? ;)


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pokes head out of door cautiously* Uh- hey there. It's been awhile. I promise, there's a good explanation for this, one that'll be posted in my end of month writing log on Tumblr. 
> 
> So, this is it. The middle of this chapter was the idea that inspired Entropy way back two Marches ago, and without it, this fic would literally not exist right now. Nice to know it took a good thirty-one chapters to get to it =)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntDx4Y4baw 

The woods were dark.

Dipper probably _should_ have expected it since it was getting close to midnight, but he had at least hoped that there would be moonlight or something. Instead, there was nothing but pitch black surrounding him, and the occasional howl of a creature somewhere nearby. He prayed he’d never find out what it was.

There was only about thirty minutes left of the hour Tad had given him, but he wasn’t worried about it. Tad wanted the amulet he wore around his neck because it was something of protection, a preserver of life. So long as he had it, he would be safe.

Before Tad had mentioned the amulet, Dipper had honestly forgotten about its entire existence. Now, creeping stealthily through the woods, it was constantly on his mind; a hand toying with the links of the chain and occasionally straying to hold the pendant.

Despite how confident he _wanted_ to feel, Dipper was unsure of his plan. He was basing it all on little more than a whim, a feeling, quite possibly a deception.

No matter. He’d lost too much thanks to Tad Strange, and the last time he’d tried cutting off ties with the demon, everything had gone to shit in the blink of an eye. Tonight, he would try again and hopefully succeed.

Howls and screams of creatures abound reminded Dipper that he wasn't as alone as he thought. Wonderful. Not only was he on his way to confront Tad Strange yet _again,_ he was also doing it at the most dangerous possible time too.

"Well played," he murmured wryly, pausing in his tracks to listen to the sounds of the woods for a moment. Despite the danger, it seemed like luck was on his side - there was nothing nearby.

Of course, that didn't mean anything. Not yet, anyway. He had no idea where Tad wanted to meet up with him, despite a few inklings that crossed his mind.

The first was one of the summoning sites. It was a place that held history for Tad as far as Dipper was concerned, and was in a clearing so the deal he wanted to make could easily take place.

So far as history went though, there was another location that was more prominent in Dipper's thoughts. The Lovely Longings were the basis of their entire uncanny relationship, the foundation of their original deal. To add the bonus, the longings were just one of the things Tad had used against Bill, so what better of a send off?

That being thought, he headed in what he thought was the direction of the Longings. As he went, everything else seemed to fade away, almost as if he were in another dream. All sound dissipated until all he could hear was the quiet crunch of his boots in the snow. He had a hard time seeing anyway, and was reduced to feeling his way around the woods.

Once or twice, he thought he saw a flash of red.

_There's nothing to be worried about,_ he reminded himself forcefully every single time. _Just keep walking, ignore it. It's not_ real.

Not real, like how the occasional rustle of leaves behind him wasn't real. Unreal, like the fact that this had to be a dream because he felt like it almost wasn't even happening. Like it didn't exist.

At long last (he was sure that his last half hour had passed by that point), he reached his destination and he even had an addition to put into the journal - Lovely Longings glowed in the dark. It was a pretty blue-ish purple color, more serene and dull than it was bright.

As he’d hoped, Tad was waiting for him. The demon hadn’t noticed his presence at that point; his back was turned and Dipper was being as silent as physically possible.

Dipper strode into the clearing, his confidence boosted a hundredfold upon the realization that he’d been right - Bill wasn’t there.

“Hello Tad,” he said in a mockingly pleasant tone, grinning when the demon spun around far too fast. Tad Strange was _actually_ nervous, something he’d never really thought could happen.

The demon recovered in an instant though, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow in condescension. “Sapling,” he mocked back. “You’re late.”

Dipper huffed out a small laugh, running a hand through his hair. “So I am, it seems,” he replied.

“I trust you brought what I asked for?”

“Maybe,” Dipper said coolly. His heart leaped in his chest at the thought of what he was about to say next, but he had to. It was the game changer after all, the flaw in the plan. “So tell me Tad, when have you _ever_ called me Pine Tree?”

In an almost comical fashion, Tad froze. His expression shifted momentarily to panic, the emotion lasting only in his eyes after he forced a calm mask back in place. “So, you did notice,” he murmured. “To be honest, I hadn’t given you that much credit Sapling.”

“It took me a little while to figure it out,” Dipper agreed. “You made a mistake though, broke character, and I caught it. So, what were you hoping to accomplish?”

Tad’s eyes flicked down for a moment, betraying him even though his tone remained calm. “You seem to like chatting,” he lied. “So I thought you might like to strike up another deal with me, one that’ll ensure your family’s safety for when this game blows to shit.”

Dipper smiled sweetly, pulling the amulet out from under his shirt. Almost imperceptibly, Tad’s eyes widened. “I don’t need to make any deals with you; I have this,” he taunted.

It was risky, he knew. Tad was a demon through and through after all, more powerful than Dipper could probably ever be. He was weak in Bill’s standards, but that was nothing more than proof of Dipper’s mortality.

“You do,” Tad murmured silkily, stepping closer. “I wonder, though, what would you do if you happened to _...lose_ it?”

Dipper bit his lip, his own eyes growing a bit wider. _Fuck._ He hadn’t thought this far ahead in the game, hadn’t made a plan for what would happen when Tad turned on him.

And somewhere in his subconscious, he had known that it would happen. That it would be a _when_ and not an _if._ There was no way that he could show up and provoke Tad and walk away completely unscathed, not when he knew that Tad wanted him, not when he knew that he was at the demon’s mercy. Dipper was Tad’s _puppet,_ as the demon had pointed out on Thanksgiving, he couldn’t afford to give him a reason to use that against him.

“You’re not going to take this from me,” Dipper asserted in a slightly wavering tone, tucking the necklace back under his shirt. “What you are going to do though, is this - you’re going to tell me what you’ve done to Bill, break our deal, and then leave Gravity Falls for good. I mean it this time,” he added in the last moment as an afterthought.

The clearing was silent for a few moments, and then Tad burst out laughing. It was different from his normal rich chuckle, cold and almost manic.

“You _actually_ think-” Tad choked out, wiping at his eyes, “that I’m going to just _give up?_ And as for your precious _Bill..._ he’ll be lucky if Seraph hasn’t finished him off by now.”

Dipper’s breath caught in his chest at Tad’s minute admission, ignoring the danger behind his words. “Bill?” he breathed. “He’s here?”

Tad grinned sharply. “Give me that amulet, and I might tell you.”

“No.” Dipper took a step back, shaking his head. Tad was _lying,_ Dipper reminded himself. He _had_ to be, there was no reason for him to be telling the truth. This was nothing but another trap in the end, that was Tad’s form. “No, I won’t.”

“No?” Tad asked, his voice soft and silky, dangerous. “You’re really going to risk the life of your beloved Cipher for this?”

_“This_ is nothing,” Dipper voiced boldly, echoing his more panicked thoughts. He gestured vaguely at the air, indicating their situation. “.... Okay? I-I can see right through you Tad, it’s all a lie.”

“A lie, is it?” Tad purred, stepping closer. He looked far too pleased with himself, his eyes alight with mirth and a smirk curling at his lips. “Is that it, little Sapling? You think you’ve got me all figured out?”

“No,” Dipper responded automatically, taking a couple of steps backward. He shook his head, momentarily confused. “No, I mean yes- Yes. I know your game now Tad. Bill was right about you.”

“Right about me, was he?” Tad questioned softly, chuckling. “If he was so _right,_ then why are you so afraid of me?”

_Because you’re still more powerful than me,_ Dipper thought, biting his lip. He released it and summoned up the rest of the courage he had, a part of him still optimistic enough to hope that he would make it out of the woods alive.

“Why all the idle chitchat?” he asked, a slight tremor giving him away. “You said you wanted me here; here I am. Unless you’re the one who’s afraid?” he challenged.

“That’s gotta be it.” Dipper barreled on before Tad had the chance to speak. Words were flying out of his mouth now, all rational thought taking backseat to impulse. “You’re all talk, Tad Strange. You’re not going to kill me; you don’t have the guts!”

_“I_ don’t have the guts?” the demon asked. He raised a hand, purple flame sparking to life on his fingertips. Dipper recoiled and shrank back, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Tad. “You really think that’s the case here?”

“Y-yeah,” Dipper breathed, his heart beating faster in trepidation.

“Do you want to hear what _I_ think?” Tad asked mockingly, walking forward until he was just a few feet in front of the brunet.

“Stop,” Dipper commanded nervously, backing up. “Don’t come one step closer!”

_“Not one step closer!”_ Tad imitated in a high pitched tone, cackling. “What are you going to do about it, Dipper Pines? I _own_ you.”

“I-” Dipper began, but he cut himself off, biting his lip. He had no answer.

“Do you understand what that means, Sapling? Being owned?” Tad asked, his gaze boring into Dipper’s. “Because, you see, really...it’s quite a funny thing.” He came closer still, lips curling into a smile. “Because, as long as I own you, you can’t do anything about it.”

Another step closer. He was not even a foot away from Dipper now but something rooted him to where he was standing, compelling him to listen, to not back away in fear like he really wanted.

Tad tilted his head slightly, eyes gleaming in an almost hungry fashion. “If I wanted to, say, _possess_ you, I could,” he murmured, the fire on his hands dying out as he reached out to grasp Dipper’s wrist, rendering him immobile. The other came up to rest on his chest, lightly trailing downward until it came to a stop at the hem of his jeans. “If I wanted to touch you, your body is my playground.” Without warning, Tad pulled Dipper forward and their bodies collided. Before Dipper could protest, the demon tilted his head up for a harsh kiss, teeth grazing his lower lip. It lasted for a split second though, then Tad leaned forward. “And if I wanted to _kiss_ you,” he breathed huskily in Dipper’s ear as the hand on his stomach moved to his hip and curled possessively. _“Well._ Who are you to stop me?”

“No,” Dipper breathed, his eyes screwing shut. He shook his head almost violently. “No, Tad, _stop._ I don’t want this.” He forced himself to open his eyes and look at Tad, almost recoiling at the predatory expression on the demon’s face. “L-let me go,” he stuttered.

“So, he _does_ know how to stand up to me,” Tad mused, a small and manic giggle escaping him. “But really Sapling, this is so, _so futile._ Don’t you _get it?_ You belong to _me._ Not Bill. So _give me the amulet.”_ His eyes flashed as he spoke, his demeanor changing as he straightened his posture.

“Go on,” he coaxed, his tone softening. “Just take the chain, yank it off, and _hand it to me. Now.”_

Before Dipper could stop to think, his hand moved to the chain around his neck, pulling upward until he was holding the amulet. His fingers closed around the sharp pendant, the metal cutting into his skin.

_Stop,_ his mental voice cautioned, though it sounded far off and distant. _Think about what you’re doing._

“I…” Dipper’s voice faltered, his breath catching in his chest. He shook his head again, attempting to clear his mind. “I...no. No. I don’t want to.”

“No?” Tad echoed softly, his eyes narrowing. “Did you just tell me _no?”_

“No,” Dipper confirmed, taking his hand off the amulet. He stepped back, yanking his wrist out of the demon’s grasp. “I’m not gonna do it. You can’t make me.”

“I think, Sapling, that you don’t have much of a _choice.”_

One of Tad’s eyebrows was raised in question, the rest of his expression verging on annoyance. He was reaching the limit of his patience; Dipper knew that much because he’d seen that very same look on his father’s face too many times before.

“I think I’ve grown tired of this,” Tad drawled, reaching a hand out to take the amulet himself.

“I said _no!”_ Dipper snarled, raw _power_ thrumming through his veins as something within him snapped. A blinding burst of orange invaded his vision just as Tad’s fingertips brushed across his throat, and it was several moments before he could see again.

Tad had backed off and was holding his hand protectively to his chest, his face twisted into a snarl of rage. There was hurt in his eyes though, pain that couldn’t possibly be faked. It wasn’t like the demon, after all. Rather than pretend to be hurt, he’d show that it hadn’t fazed him at all any day.

“So this is how you want to end it then?” Tad asked lowly, regaining his composure and standing straighter. “With a fight?”

“I didn’t want it to quite come to that,” Dipper admitted, shifting uneasily into a loose fighting stance, light on his feet like Bill had always instructed. “But honestly, I don’t think it can happen any other way. Peace isn’t an option with you.” He calmly summoned his magic in the form of fire, comforted by the thought that at least he was experienced enough with the element that he wouldn’t die. Probably.

“Let me guess,” Tad said smoothly as he stepped back, summoning his own magic. It appeared in the form of a long violet whip, small flames dancing on the leather. “You expect a fair fight, no? A true battle of skill in a winner takes all type scenario?”

_Yes,_ Dipper thought, even as he shook his head no.

There was, strangely enough, a pause. Neither of them moved in favor of analyzing the other. Dipper was tensed, muscles coiled and ready to spring into action at any given moment.

Tad moved first. In the blink of an eye, he unfurled his whip and struck, the tail end moving to wrap around one of Dipper’s wrists. It stung, the purple flames singing his bare wrist. Tad yanked, the motion effortlessly throwing Dipper off balance and causing him to stumble forward.

The moment the whip left his wrist, Dipper backed up several steps and shot a ball of fire at Tad, succeeding it with another one that would hit in a different spot. While the demon dodged the first one easily, the second collided with his right shoulder.

Tad immediately brought a hand up to cover his shoulder, hissing lowly in pain. “You really think that’s going to do anything to me?” he snarled, eyes flashing in anger.

“You’re reacting, so yeah,” Dipper replied with a flippant smirk. He feigned calmness, though his heart had to be beating a million miles a minute and he didn’t know how Tad wasn’t already seeing right through him.

Somewhere behind him, he heard a few leaves crunch on a part of ground that wasn’t covered by snow. He didn’t dare look back though, not on the chance that it would give Tad the advantage in the fight. He’d sworn that he was going to end this once and for all, and he was going to hold himself to that promise no matter what.

Tad lashed out with the whip again and Dipper ducked out of the way of it not a second too soon, mentally thanking Bill for his teachings on keeping a light stance.

“Is that seriously the best you’ve got?” Dipper asked snarkily, shifting elements. Even though he was less experienced with water, there was more material around for him to work with. This way, it wouldn’t tax his energy as much. He quickly shaped a few spikes out of snow and hardened it to ice, shooting them at Tad the moment they were done.

“Of course not,” Tad replied smoothly, dodging. “I have more power than you ever will Sapling, you’re just not worth the time and energy it would take to use it.”

Dipper gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes. It was true, and he knew it. Despite Bill teaching him magic, despite Bill saying that Tad was weak, Dipper still wouldn’t be able to beat him in a fight.

“Tell me something,” Tad murmured, striking with his whip one last time. Distracted by his thinking, Dipper didn’t move quickly enough and the whip coiled around his torso, binding his arms to his chest and rendering him defenseless. “Do you know why you’re really here, Sapling?”

Dipper swallowed before responding, more nervous now that he couldn’t do anything again. “Because you want my amulet.”

“There’s that,” Strange hummed, nodding. “But it’s so much more. Did you know I didn’t come here alone tonight, Dipper Pines?”

Dipper’s breath caught in his chest. “Wh-what are you-?”

“I brought along some friends of mine,” Tad continued, interrupting him. He waved the hand that wasn’t holding the whip in a grand arc. “I believe you’ve studied shadow wraiths before?” They appeared on the cue Tad had given, materializing from the darkness and coming out from behind trees.

As Dipper took in their appearance, he realized two things - one, that they’d followed him here. The glowing red eyes, occasional hisses and whispers, the sounds of movement behind him - all them.

For two, the shadow wraiths had been one of the things he’d seen on Halloween. Even though they’d seemed benevolent when he’d studied them, his subconscious had known to fear them and that was slightly alarming. That...or else it had been some kind of warning.

_“Dipper Pines,”_ one of the wraiths hissed. It moved closer to him, only pausing for a moment to look at Tad for confirmation.

“You see, I don’t think you quite understand, Sapling,” Tad murmured silkily, his eyes glowing dimly. In one complicated motion, he twisted the whip _just so,_ the leather releasing Dipper and spinning him, sending him stumbling to the ground.

He scrambled to his feet just as Tad slowly stepped back into the darkness. “You see Dipper Pines, you’ve come here to die.”

The shadow wraiths took the place of where Tad had been, breathy high pitched cackles and whispers echoing around the clearing.

_“Dinner time,”_ the one wraith that had spoken up earlier said, sounding satisfied.

_That one must be the leader,_ Dipper thought, biting his lip. He quickly assessed his surroundings, deducing in the end that he was probably fucked. There was no way out, he was pretty much defenseless ( _how does one fight shadows?_ ), and nobody knew where he was.

All around him, silky smooth voices whispered teases in his ears, calling his name and making empty promises. His heart panged; they sounded so much like the golden demon even though they weren't.

_Shadow wraiths,_ he remembered Bill telling him on his birthday, late at night when he’d almost run into the woods after one. _Malevolent, more so than they’d led you to believe when you wrote your own field study. They lure humans into the woods, then kill them and harvest their souls. Never go after them, especially not at night._

Dipper took a few more steps back, tearing his gaze away from the red eyes of the wraith. These ones were working for Tad, likely the only reason he wasn’t already dead.

“You’ve come here to die,” he reminded himself under his breath, echoing Strange’s words. “So that doesn’t make any sense.” He stepped backward again, not daring to risk looking over his shoulder to see where he was actually going.

_“Dipper Pines…”_ the leader-wraith repeated, raising a not-quite-solid hand and extending it toward him.

“S-stay away from me!” Dipper snapped, trying to summon his magic to fight them. The power that he’d easily felt running through his veins earlier was gone, though. Dormant.

_God, I really am going to die,_ he thought in despair as his back collided with a tree trunk. His eyes darted around, looking for any direction of escape. The clan of wraiths were closing in around him though, the taunting whispers increasing until he couldn’t hear his own breathing anymore.

“Stop,” Dipper pleaded inaudibly, covering his ears with his hands. He screwed his eyes shut and sank down to the ground, murmuring the word over and over again.

He could feel the individual coldness from the shadow wraiths pressing in all around him, seeping into his skin and chilling him to the bone. A wispy, barely-there hand brushed over his cheek, stealing a bit of life force in the form of energy.

It was then that there was a shift in the air, sudden and forceful. Heat washed over Dipper, warming him to the core and driving away the fear that had been overpowering him. Curious, he tentatively opened his eyes.

Blue. All he could see was electric blue, blinding him. It faded enough after a few heartbeats that he could make out the individual blue flames that danced across his skin and flared outward protectively. The shadow wraiths were gone, driven away by the flames.

Without warning, the fire vanished, plunging the woods back into darkness. Everything was still and silent and even though Dipper was once more vulnerable, the wraiths did not reappear.

“Bill?” he whispered in disbelief, his heart skipping a few beats. He _knew_ that flame like he knew the pages of the third journal, like the back of his own hand.

As if in answer, another ring of blue pulsed around him, moving outward. For a moment, he could see and his path was clear.

_Home._

He wasn't sure if he'd thought the word or spoken it, but it didn't matter because he was suddenly stepping forward. The same gentle warmth the flame had given him that he couldn't explain flowed throughout his entire being, securing and comforting him. Almost as soon as the light had flared, it vanished again. The woods were silent now, more tranquil rather than eerie.

“Bill?” Dipper whispered again. He couldn’t convince himself that this wasn’t somehow the work of the demon, it just seemed _right_ that it was him.

A small blue flame flickered somewhere up ahead, then vanished. There were no words echoing in his mind this time though, no more sudden bursts of warmth.

What was going on?

Cautiously, he took a few steps toward where the flame had been, looking around nervously for any signs of the shadow wraiths (or even worse- Tad). Neither were around though, and he only made it a few steps before another small blue ball of flame appeared. It hung around for a couple of moments this time, almost encouraging even though it seemed like it was taunting him.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing here,” he told it as it vanished once more. “But alright, I’ll follow you.”

It was only because it so closely resembled Bill’s fire, Dipper reminded himself as he kept following the fire trail. Midnight had come and gone and even though the woods were still fairly dangerous, the worst of it had passed. The blue fire was helping, he was sure, the brightness of it warding off any and all dangers.

It was warm, too, he’d discovered in delight the one one time he’d gotten close enough to one of the balls of fire to feel it.

By that point, he was a lot more relaxed, even though the woods were still dangerous. He knew where he was, and he’d be able to find his way home even without the blue fire to guide him.

Every once in a while, Dipper looked over his shoulder. He wasn’t sure just where the fire was originating from, but he was almost positive that Bill had something to do with it. Even if he was angry with Dipper, even if he was never going to see him again, he was still looking out for him.

Subconsciously, Dipper reached down to touch the amulet around his neck. It had been a gift from Bill, even if Mabel had been the one to give it to him. That had to count for something. It showed that the demon cared.

Was the amulet the source of fire?

Thinking back, magic had flared when Tad had tried to take the amulet from him earlier, too. The only difference between the circumstance of that and the shadow wraiths was the color of the flames. One had been orange, the other cerulean.

Dipper was brought out of his thinking by his arrival at the edge of the treeline separating the woods from the Mystery Shack. His guiding flame had disappeared already, gone back to wherever it had come from.

He stepped out of the woods and onto the property of the shack, exhaustion from the past few hours finally settling fully into his bones. Everything that had happened in the woods felt like a dream, and stepping out of it brought reality crashing down around him.

He was so tired that he didn’t notice the blatant change until it was right in front of him and even then, he almost just brushed it off. He took a second glance though, and his breath caught in his chest.

Bill was home.

In the window of his small house sat a lantern with a blue flame flickering in it, identical to the one that had guided Dipper there.

Panicked as he had been, enthused as he _should_ have been, he found it hard to feel much of anything as he slowly walked up to the demon’s room. His hand hesitated by the doorknob; his breath caught in his chest and refused to release.

What was he waiting for?

He knew the answer though, deep down. It wasn’t that he was _waiting_ for anything, per se, but that he was afraid of what he would find and anticipating the answer to those fears. They’d left off on much less than savory terms on Thanksgiving, and it unsettled him. What if Bill had lured him to safety, only to finish the job himself? A greater fear encompassed even that one though, the one that stole away his breath.

What if he found _nothing?_ What if nearly dying and raising his hopes on a whim had all been for naught, and Bill wasn’t even there?

_You have to at least try,_ he rationalized, finally settling his hand on the doorknob and slowly turning it.

The door opened and he found himself breathing again as warm air greeted him, surefire proof that _something_ was there. Illusions of the sky etched on the walls was the first thing he saw, the same stars they’d gazed at months ago, and finally, everything was okay.

Bill was sitting crosslegged on his bed, facing Dipper. His expression sparked to life when the brunet stepped into the small house, unmistakable relief flaring in his eye. It died down just as quickly though, settling into careful neutrality.

Dipper stood in the doorway and stared for several moments, drinking in the sight of the demon he’d grown to love. Emotions ran through him like an electric current, and finally he was _complete._

He said nothing, though. He’d spent hours upon hours imagining what he would say to the demon if given the chance, _fantasizing_ the moment of his return. Now that the moment was here though...he had nothing.

Bill finally cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “I think we need to talk,” he murmured quietly as he gestured to the futon across from his bed. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Dipper nodded and walked over to the chair and sat down, feeling disconnected in a way. He still said nothing, not even when Bill fixed an impatient and expectant gaze on him.

What were words?

Bill sighed after several minutes of Dipper’s obvious struggle, and spoke again. “Look, Pine Tree. I’m sorry I left, okay? Is that what you’re waiting for?”

If nothing else, _that_ made him act and he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind.

“Do you really own me?”

Silence. Bill’s gaze became more intense, burning as if he was staring into the brunet’s soul.

He shifted uncomfortably. “It’s just, I’ve thought a lot about what you said, and…”

“Ask something else,” Bill said quietly. “I’m not answering that right now.”

Dipper shook his head. “It’s late,” he muttered. “I should just go and-”

“Don’t.”

Dipper blinked and shook his head again. “What?” He knew that he sounded downright stupid now, but nothing was making sense and everything was happening too fast, even though some part of him knew it was all in his head.

“Stay, kid.” Bill sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, I don’t mean to run you off, okay? It’s just, I hardly know where to begin, and this isn’t something I want to admit.”

“All the more reason to hear it then, don’t you think?” Dipper murmured wryly, drawing his legs up to sit crosslegged. “I’m sick of not knowing, Bill.”

“I _know.”_ Bill paused and closed his eye. When he spoke again, his voice was soft enough that Dipper almost didn’t catch what he said. “I’m _ashamed,_ Dipper, okay? Becoming a human changed a lot, and this happened so long ago, and you’d never forgive me…”

The demon straightened then and opened his eye again, fixing a determined gaze on Dipper. “But you’re right. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. You deserve to know the truth, no matter how you think of me.”

Dipper nodded, not saying anything. He had an idea of what Bill was probably going to say, but he wanted to hear the words from the demon himself.

“Once, many years ago, there was your father,” Bill started, lowering his gaze. “He came to Gravity Falls the same as you did, when he was a boy. He hated it here, and he grew up shying away from the… _weirdness_ that resides here. He grew to resent it and grew to find your mother; a nice, normal girl back at home.”

He fell silent for a moment, probably to breathe, and Dipper took the time to chew through the beginning of his story. He’d known his dad had some ties with the town, but he’d never imagined they’d run so deep.

“Much as it kills me to say this, your dad wasn’t always such a bad person. He was in love, and he wanted a good future and that’s what I offered when he came to me in a moment of utter weakness.”

“He made a deal,” Dipper summed up, nodding. He probably should have figured that out himself, but everything his dad had ever said or done had never indicated the truth. “What were the terms?”

Bill shifted, the expression on his face growing more uncomfortable as he presumably tried to figure out how to answer that.

“He wanted a good life,” the demon finally repeated, not looking at Dipper. “For himself, and for his family. You and Mabel didn’t exist; you were barely an idea when he came to me. Still, I named my price and he accepted.”

Even though Dipper had reconciled himself to his father’s hatred, it made his heart twinge just a little when the reason _why_ was given. Everything clicked into place and so much made sense in that moment alone.

_This is my mark, not his._

“It was me,” the brunet murmured, looking away from Bill. He didn’t think he was going to _cry_ over the revelation or anything, but it would have been complete bull to pretend that he was completely unaffected.

“I’m sorry,” Bill whispered, his own tone sounding raw. “I did what I had to, he would have never accepted if it were the first, nobody ever accepts the death of their first child, but the second? At least they have their one, there’s never a guarantee that there will even _be_ a second, and-”

“I’m alive though,” Dipper interrupted, shaking his head a little. “Hold up, you said _the death of their first -_ that implies that I was supposed to die.”

Bill sighed, finally meeting his eyes. “You were,” he admitted. “I made the deal for your soul; you were never meant to live, Dipper.”

“So why did I?”

A hint of a smile curled at Bill’s lips before it vanished again. “I can see the future,” he murmured, looking up at the starry ceiling with what looked like longing in his eye. “In a moment, I can see a lifetime. I can see what my choices will cause, I can see the outcomes of people’s choices before they’re even made. In the moment you were born, I had to make mine, one that would have changed everything if it was the wrong one.”

Dipper swallowed, fear settling into his heart despite how safe he felt around the demon. “The options?”

Bill looked back down at him evenly. “Kill you,” he said, coldness seeping into his tone. It vanished in his next words though, making Dipper wonder which part of the demon was speaking them. “Or, let you live. Maybe take you later. Keep you alive, take your body and raise you for my own. That happened in another dimension,” he added as an afterthought. “Maybe I’ll take you there someday. It’s pretty fucked up.”

For a moment, Dipper tried to imagine what it would have been like, growing up with Bill as a guardian. He banished the thought with a shudder, deciding that he probably didn’t want to know.

“You let me live?” he asked, almost hesitant.

“Killing you would have meant that I would have succeeded in Weirdmageddon,” Bill stated. “It was the easier option, but something stopped me the millimoment before I did it. I wondered, just for a second, what would happen if I didn’t immediately take your soul.”

Bill fell silent, lost in thought. Emotions crossed over his features, several in the span of a few moments. Regret, anger, peace...love.

“I saw us,” he finally said softly. “Both human, both happy. This summer. That’s what I saw, though I only realized it when I was going after Strange. It….I don’t know, I liked it. I was curious, I wanted to know what it would be like. I wanted to know you. And so...you lived.”

The room fell quiet then, and stayed that way for a while. A million thoughts raced through Dipper’s mind, but he couldn’t voice them. Bill was staring at him, tentativeness in his eye, and Dipper matched his gaze.

“Was it worth it?”

“I think…” Bill replied slowly, after a few more minutes of contemplative silence. “That it was, in the end. In this end, cause time is still going. Last month, no. Now...I think maybe so. It’s not easy. I should have realized that it never would be, when it comes to you.”

A small chuckle escaped Dipper’s lips at that statement, and then Bill’s words finally caught up to him. “You gave it up for me? You literally picked _me_ over the end of the world?”

“No,” Bill automatically stated, in a deadpan. “I tried to have both. It failed.” He smiled then, small but there. “I think, it _was_ worth it. You were such a curious human when we first met, so amusing. And even now, you intrigue me. Maybe it’s just my more human personality talking here, but I’m glad I chose to keep you alive.”

Dipper didn’t return the smile, even though his entire being was filled with joy. He _wanted_ to, but a few last thoughts nagged at the back of his mind. “Why didn’t you just tell me all of this?” he asked, glancing down at the ground. “It would have saved the both of us so much trouble, and none of this would have happened.”

“Would you have listened?” Bill asked wryly, the smile slipping.

“Probably not,” Dipper admitted. “I can see your point.”

“I can also see yours,” the demon said begrudgingly. “If you’d listened to me saying that you were _mine_ all summer and if I’d explained this, you probably wouldn’t have trusted Strange.”

“And that’s another thing. Tad said that you were using me, and you never bothered to deny it. What about that?”

“You never gave me the chance to defend myself,” Bill said simply. “You chose his word over mine, _assumed_ he was telling you the truth when he was lying to you about everything, never even _thought_ to ask me.”

“In my defense, I didn’t think you’d tell the truth.”

“The point still stands. On your side though, I really _should_ have told you that I knew about your involvement with Strange, even though it was _your_ place to tell _me.”_

“Speaking of keeping secrets.” Dipper swallowed, not sure that he really wanted to know the answer to his next question. “The end of the world. Seraphine and Tad are both after me because of it, I thought it made the notion that you were using me make sense. Tad said I’m the key to it. Was...was he lying? You never said it was one, and-”

“I’m sorry,” Bill cut in quietly. “That...that’s true, Dipper. I never wanted you to know.”

Dipper bit his lip, a lump forming in his throat. Words were lost to him, countless thoughts racing through his mind in the span of a second. He struggled to find his voice, shock rendering him silent.

"H-How?" he finally managed in a small gasp, his breathing stuttering. "That's not- how can- how can I be the thing that's going to- how is this-?" He faltered, shaking his head and looking at the demon desperately.

"Your bloodline is strong," Bill murmured, not looking at him. "You come from a line of magically and intellectually gifted people, Dipper; your grandfather never tapped into it and your father rejected it. You're the only candidate with _true_ potential."

"That doesn't say how." Dipper swallowed and tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "That's not- it doesn't tell me anything."

"I know." Bill glanced up at the starry ceiling, then back down. "I'm sorry this is so hard to explain. For knowing almost everything though, this is something that stumps even me. You're just...special. Unique. For some reason or another, you're it."

"So that's it, then?" Dipper asked, his voice quieter than he had thought possible. He swallowed again, "I'm going to cause the end of the world, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"You have a choice," Bill said immediately, something akin to desperation coloring his tone. "Dipper, just because you have the power doesn't mean that it's going to happen. You're more than that."

Dipper wrapped his arms around himself in a gesture meant to feel comforting, but it only made him feel more hollow inside. "How can- how am I-"

"I promise it'll be okay," Bill murmured, and he was beside Dipper in the blink of an eye, pulling the brunet into his arms.

Dipper relaxed only marginally, but it was enough to at least help him calm his stuttered breaths. Bill's embrace was safe, the scent of the woods wafting around them was home, and, somehow, it resonated in his mind that it really would be okay.

"What's going to happen?" he finally whispered, breaking the silence. "Bill, S-Seraphine-"

"Don't worry about her," the demon soothed, moving a hand to thread it slowly through Dipper's hair. "As long as I'm around, she can't hurt you."

"Why- why didn't- you were gone, why didn't she-?"

Bill's hand smoothed the hair back from the brunet's forehead, and his lips brushed softly over the constellation a moment later. "I didn't just go after Tad while I was gone. It took longer to figure out than I want to admit, but I realized that isolating you was a part of his plan. I should have known he'd try something like this, that getting you by yourself was the plan the entire time."

"His? But she-"

"He's her ally," Bill interrupted smoothly, his embrace tightening slightly. "I did a lot of thinking in the past month, Dipper. A lot of things didn't check out, both with your interactions with him, and with how easily he was able to get rid of her miasma. It was only when I really started to investigate that everything really came together."

"Oh," Dipper breathed. "That- that does make sense."

"Mmhmm," Bill hummed, and he found himself relaxing more. The demon was warm and after the night's events, Dipper was exhausted. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered why Bill wasn’t talking about _tonight,_ why he hadn’t said a word about Dipper going to the woods and almost getting killed. He’d worry about that later though, and enjoy what he had now.

"I should get going," he finally uttered into the silence. Nonetheless, he didn't move from his spot. His heart lurched at the thought of leaving Bill so soon after getting him back, and the question spilled from his lips before he even had the chance to try holding it back.

"C-can I stay? With you, please?"

Silence for a moment, and then Bill shifted his head so his chin was resting on top of Dipper's head. "Kid, do you want the honest truth?" His voice was quiet, neutral.

Dipper's heart sank and he mentally cursed his stupidity. Bill might have been back, but that didn't mean everything was forgiven.

When the demon spoke again though, his tone had grown soft. "I was going to ask you anyway."

Any remaining tension that Dipper might have felt melted away then, giving in to a rush of relief that filled his entire being with warmth. "Oh," he exhaled. "O-okay."

"You're getting tired," Bill murmured, a warm chuckle following his words. "Do you wanna go to bed?"

"I'm not- we're not done talking yet," Dipper protested, even though sleep beckoned stronger than his curiosity.

"How about this? We'll lay down so you can fall asleep whenever you're ready, and I'll keep talking. How does that sound?"

Dipper nodded and Bill shifted again, this time so he could carry Dipper over to the bed. The brunet went along with it, too tired to care. He was being settled onto Bill's bed before he knew it, tucked in snugly. The demon joined him just a moment later, pulling Dipper once more to lie in his arms.

"What more do you want to talk about?" he asked in a murmur, a hand returning to card through Dipper's hair. The gesture was comforting and only aided in lulling the brunet to sleep.

"How'd you...come back?" Dipper managed through a yawn, blinking sleepily and nuzzling his face into the demon's chest.

"Now?" Bill asked, but the brunet couldn't form a response. After a moment, he spoke again. "I'm not going to read your mind kid." Silence again, and Dipper snuggled closer to him.

"No," he exhaled. "Earlier."

He thought he might have heard a small laugh from Bill, but it was quickly lost to his ears. "Okay then, how much earlier?"

Dipper thought that he might have managed to shrug, but he wasn't so sure. The room fell silent for a few minutes, and then the blond began.

"Back about this time last year, I wasn't human." Bill's voice was soft, lulling. "And then, it all changed when I made my last deal; the end of the world for a second chance..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And welcome to Friday, my dear readers =) So tell me, what did you think? The little fire trail in the forest was kind of inspired by the will-o-the-wisps from Brave by the way, not sure if you really caught that ^^
> 
> So, this chapter is special not only because it was my inspiration, but also because it holds probably the biggest shoutout I've ever given. Exactly 510 days ago, a user named mariachiMushroom commented on this fic. They left a pretty good critique, questioned some, frankly, (especially now that I'm looking back) questionable things I'd written into the story and it made me think. Why did I write things like that? What was the point? See, there never had to be a point, but I wasn't satisfied with myself anymore.  
> Thus, there was a pause between chapters five and six, and maybe not so magically, I came up with the plot for this fic. A plot that, somehow, would answer those few questions and do a thoughtless idea some justice.   
> Mariachi, I don't know if you're still reading. If you are….thank you. You made me a better writer and I owe where Entropy has gone almost solely to you <3


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I cannot even _begin_ to apologize for how long it's been. Five months. I won't lie, I was so ready to post the chapter I never wanted to, the author's note stating that this would be going on an official hiatus. The only thing that honestly kept from doing so was the fact that I only thought about it when I was already working slowly but surely on this chapter.  
>  And then it got done in less than a week again.
> 
> Nonetheless, mental health aside, I never _ever_ want this to be a thing again. The long wait between chapters, I mean.

Dipper was awoken the next morning by the feel of soft skin gently stroking over his cheeks, tracing over his lips and passing once or twice over his forehead. His heart beat faster as he became more aware of everything around him, sounds filtering in from outside that intermingled with a low humming from somewhere above. There was a small weight settled over his legs, but he found he didn’t mind it in the slightest.

He kept his eyes closed despite the urge to open them, to put an image to his surroundings. For a surreal moment, he didn’t quite know where he was, who he was with. Time held no meaning and despite a muted panic in the back of his mind, the incoherency, he was at peace.

Memories of the previous night came to him slowly as his mind caught up with the aware state of his body. Picking up his great grandparents from the airport, the tension between his relatives when he came home, hiding out in his room with Mabel and Pacifica. Meeting up with Tad, the kiss, and the fight. The shadow wraiths. Bill.

His breath caught in his chest as he finally realized. Bill. He was with Bill, in the demon’s room. He’d come home and they’d talked.

_ Bill was home.  _

He opened his eyes at long last to find Bill lying on his side and propped up on an elbow, one leg thrown over Dipper’s in what he assumed was an act of possession. Bill was looking down at Dipper and gazing intently at him as he mapped out Dipper’s face with his fingers. A slow smile spread across his lips as he noticed Dipper’s state of awareness.

“Good morning,” Bill murmured, blinking slowly. “You slept for quite a while.”

“Mmmph,” Dipper breathed out, letting his head loll to the side away from Bill as his eyes fluttered shut again. “Wha’ time’s it?”

“Close to ten,” Bill hummed, not seeming to mind that Dipper had turned his face away from him. “Star’s freaking out because she woke up and you weren’t around.”

Dipper opened up his eyes again and glanced over at Bill in confusion. “You talked to her?” he asked, marvelling in the thought that the demon had felt comfortable enough to just pop inside and make conversation as if the last month hadn’t even happened. He shook his head a little, dispelling the idea.

Bill snorted. “Oh gods no. Demon of the mind, or did you forget that? I have eyes everywhere.”

“Makes sense,” Dipper conceded, attempting to maneuver his body into an upright position. Bill only increased the pressure of the leg that was resting over his, making the task impossible. “Bill, we need to get up now,” he complained, halfheartedly glaring at him. “Get off.”

For a moment, Bill looked as if he were contemplating it. Then he carefully dropped himself down so that he was halfway laying over Dipper, his face only inches away. “Nah,” he said, grinning. “I think I’d rather stay here.”

With a huff, Dipper gave up and flopped back down onto the pillows. He closed his eyes, relishing in the scent that surrounded him that was all musk and woods, that was  _ Bill.  _ Even though he knew that it was real, that Bill was really there with him, he almost couldn’t believe it. How, in the span of a single night, everything could feel normal again.

“Merry Christmas, by the way,” Bill murmured. He nuzzled his face into Dipper’s neck, inhaling deeply.  _ “Gods,  _ I’ve missed you, Dipper.”

“Merry Christmas,” Dipper returned, his voice choking up with emotion. He tried to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat and failed. “I-”

“Don’t you ever listen to Tad Strange ever again,” Bill told him, his voice muffled against Dipper’s skin. “You almost died last night.”

“I know,” Dipper apologized, lifting a hand to run it through Bill’s hair. “I’m sorry.”

Bill lifted his head to glare at Dipper, his eye narrowing. “I can’t believe you listened to that slimy bastard in the first place,” he continued, his tone dipping low. “I’ve  _ told  _ you, he knows how to mimic powers; you should have seen something like that coming from a mile away!”

Dipper sighed, rolling his eyes. So  _ now  _ they were going to duke it out over last night? Just when he was finally able to relax? 

“In my defense, I did figure out that it was a trap,” he pointed out, meeting Bill’s angry gaze.

“Yet still you went,” the demon bit out irately, pushing up off of Dipper to kneel beside him. “Still you listened!”

“Look, I was trying to prove a point-”

“To  _ who?” _ Bill snapped, his voice cracking slightly on the last word. “To me? To  _ Tad?” _

Dipper recoiled from the definite shift in emotion and looked away from Bill, choosing instead to focus on a star on the ceiling. He knew he deserved Bill’s anger to a point; it  _ had  _ been a foolish move to go after Strange last night, but still…

“I was thinking more to myself actually,” Dipper admitted quietly. “I just- I don’t know, I wanted to show myself that I could do this on my own, you know? That I could beat Tad for once, that I was stronger than him.” He swallowed, biting his lip in trepidation. “That I don’t belong to him.”

Silence fell. For several moments, Dipper could only hear his and Bill’s respective breaths and the few sounds that came in from outside. Finally, Bill sighed. Assuming it was safe to do so, Dipper looked over at Bill to find that rather than sitting up straight, his shoulders had slumped in defeat and he’d buried his face in his hands. 

It hit him then, that Bill was  _ upset,  _ but was only covering it up with anger because he didn’t think that there was another way to get through to him. Dipper had almost  _ died,  _ and Bill had almost  _ lost  _ him. In the aftermath, it was no wonder he was acting like this.

“Hey, look,” Dipper murmured. He sat up, using one hand propped behind him to support his weight. The other, he gently laid over one of Bill’s. “Everything’s okay, okay? I’m fine, and you’re here now.”

“You can’t go doing things like this anymore,” Bill muttered, his tone muffled by his hands. “This is incredibly stupid, but I care too much about you and you’re going to give me a heart attack one day if you keep risking your life stupidly like this.”

_ “Relax.”  _ Dipper chuckled, slowly taking Bill’s hand in his own. Bill looked up at him, his expression uncharacteristically uncertain. “Everything will be okay,” he promised, tugging gently. “Lay back down with me?”

It was an evasive maneuver, and Dipper knew that Bill knew it. Instead of continuing on though, Bill gave him a small, halfhearted smile and allowed Dipper to pull him down.

Once Bill was comfortably settled on him once more, Dipper wrapped his arms around him and closed his eyes. He’d probably already had more than enough sleep despite the late night he’d had last night, but another nap sounded perfect right about then.

They cuddled together for some time in silence, Dipper basking in Bill’s warmth and sheer presence and Bill just simply being silent. He broke it at some point though, his voice quietly penetrating the still air.

“We need to go inside at some point, Dipper. Today’s an important human holiday.”

“I know,” Dipper mumbled, cracking an eye open. “I’m so comfy though.” He huffed, letting his head roll over to the side. “This is all your fault, you know.”

They argued like that back and forth for a few minutes, an occasional teasing insult flying out and being met with little to no ire. Eventually they got up and started getting ready for the day, their previous argument lost to chatter about everything Bill had missed in his absence and what Tad (and consequently, Seraphine) had been up to while Bill was tracking them.

“-and I still haven’t managed to catch wind of who’s been summoning her, but I’m going to assume for the sake of efficiency that it’s been Tad this entire time.”

“Soooo, I learned how to get into my mindscape at will-”

“-she’s a lot more powerful than I thought-”

“-oh! Also, I forgot to mention, we have guests over right now-”

They held hands the entire way to the shack, Dipper giving Bill’s a light squeeze every once in awhile in what he hoped was reassurance. 

“Do you want to just go in through the front?” Dipper murmured quietly, his mouth close to Bill’s ear in an attempt to be as quiet or possible. “Or would you rather sneak in through the gift shop and into the kitchen?”

“Kitchen,” Bill whispered back automatically. “Less drama that way, I think. You said you have guests, right? I don’t think they want to see me in this state.”

“What state?” Dipper asked, shaking his head a bit in confusion. “You look fine to me.”

“I haven’t showered yet for today,” Bill explained impatiently, as if Dipper should have already known that. “It’s unbecoming to present yourself in any state less than perfect in the face of company.”

Dipper rolled his eyes at that, letting go of Bill’s hand in favor of running it through his hair. “Idiot,” he muttered. “Why didn’t you just shower while we were still in your room?”

“We were wasting enough time as it was,” Bill huffed defensively. “This way, we can just sneak in and I can use yours while you interact with your family.”

“About that…” Dipper mumbled apologetically. “We’ll actually have to go in through the front after all. I forgot, I lost my key forever and a half ago. I just haven’t had to use it, because I live in the same building as the gift shop, and I haven’t opened the store in weeks.”

“Fine,” Bill sighed. “I should have figured you’d do something brainless like that.”

“Forgive me for having to deal with depression,” Dipper snarked back sarcastically. “It’s your fault anyway, you asshole.”

“I highly doubt that,” Bill replied, rolling his eyes. “But okay.”

“Do you think everyone else is already awake?” Dipper mused quietly as they walked up the steps of the porch. One of Bill’s feet slipped a little on the bottom step, and Dipper made a mental note to take care of that later.

“Probably,” Bill murmured back, chuckling lowly. “We were holed up in my room long enough, after all.”

Dipper hummed thoughtfully. “You’re right.”

He paused for a moment when they reached the door, though he didn’t know why. Shaking his head a little, he pushed past his hesitation and opened the door, stepping inside quickly so not too much heat would be lost to the frigid air outside. Bill followed, stomping his shoes a good few times on the rug just inside. The low chatter from the living room quieted down, and Dipper took that as his cue.

“Morning everyone,” he called out, a hand automatically seeking out Bill’s. The demon reached out as they made their way to the living room and took it comfortingly, lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a squeeze.

“About time you showed up!” Mabel yelled from the living room. “We’ve all been worried sick!”

Dipper rolled his eyes, a small grin tugging at his lips. “I’m sure,” he replied teasingly as they reached the doorway. Bill smartly kept himself out of sight, so the only thing anyone could see was their linked hands.

The entirety of the family was gathered in the living room and by the looks of it, they  _ had  _ been waiting for him. Just, not nearly as much as Mabel was alluding to, if the slightly impatient expression on Grunkle Stan’s face was anything to go by.

“Where have  _ you  _ been all night?” Pacifica asked, an eyebrow raising disdainfully. Her gaze flicked down to his hands, and Dipper knew she’d noticed.

“Same as you, probably,” Dipper snarked back. 

“Hmmph,” Pacifica sniffed. “I’ll have you know, Mabel and I were having dinner with my parents, which they insisted on. Not hooking up with some random stranger, like  _ you  _ obviously did.”

“He’s not a random stranger,” Dipper muttered, rolling his eyes again. He strode into the living room, dragging Bill along with him. The reaction was instantaneous. 

“So, the both of them are gay,” Filbrick muttered from his spot next to Stanley on the couch. Dipper chose to ignore the remark, reminding himself that he’d already guessed what his great grandfather’s reaction would be if he’d ever found out.

“Bill, you’re back!” Mabel cried, jumping to her feet. She came over and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, squeezing him once before letting go. “And it’s a good thing too- I remembered to bring your presents out!”

“You guys got me gifts?” Bill asked, managing to look both bemused and deeply touched at the same time. He sounded pleased too, though Dipper couldn’t fathom why.

“Of course we did,” Pacifica told him. “Where have you been, Cipher? You vanished for like, a month, and left this dork to wallow in depression.” She gestured to Dipper, who managed to glower back at her.

“I’ll tell you guys about it in a little while,” Bill replied tersely, glancing meaningfully at Stanley and Grunkle Stan. “For now, budge over. Apparently, we have gifts to exchange, and I’m tired of standing.”

“Not even going to ask who we are or introduce yourself?” Carrie asked from where she was curled up beside Filbrick. “Kids these days; so rude.”

Dipper rolled his eyes; she apparently still hadn’t quite warmed up to anything besides Mabel yet. He shuffled over to sit down beside where Mabel and Pacifica were sitting in front of the tree, Bill plonking down beside him a lot more gracefully. 

“To be perfectly honest,” Bill started in a smooth, conversational tone, “I didn’t think introductions were necessary my dear Caroline. After all, I already know the both of you very well.” He leveled a stare at Filbrick, a sharp grin spreading over his lips. “Isn’t that right, my dear protege?”

For a long moment, the room fell silent in complete shock. Dipper looked first to Bill to see if he could tell what he was thinking, then to his great grandfather to gauge his reaction. 

Filbrick’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that Cipher,” he said in a low, threatening tone. “I haven’t been that in years.”

“Wait, protege?” Dipper questioned, his head snapping back to look at Bill. “What are you guys talking-”

“Filly here was my original apprentice,” Bill answered, cutting him off.  His tone held a careful air of forced cheerfulness. “Way back when; he’s the reason your family has a penchant for harnessing magic.”

“Until you ruined Stanley’s chance at the college of his dreams!” Carrie snapped, sitting up a little straighter and pointing an accusing finger at Bill. “And now, you dare show your face aro-”

“You did  _ what?!”  _ Stanley interrupted.

“Well,” Mabel murmured under her breath to Pacifica. “Never a dull holiday with Bill around at least.” 

Bill, for all he was worth, at least managed to look a little guilty as he responded. “I told you your family held great importance,” he said patiently, as if he’d done so a thousand times before. “Stanley’s science fair project was a necessary stepping stone to that importance.”

“Hold up,” Grunkle Stan snapped, rising to his feet. He loomed over Bill, expression and demeanor both reflecting the fury in his tone. “That was  _ you?  _ You ruined my life, you little whelp!”

Bill shot to his feet, taking up a carefully defensive stance. “Now now,” he said lowly. “Think about this Fez. I have magic, you don’t. It’s the holidays, and that happened almost forty years ago. It’s in the past.”

“Much as I hate to say this,” Stanley began through gritted teeth, leaning back tensely in his seat, “he has a point. All that happened a long time ago, and even though he’s given me an entirely new reason to despise him, there’s no use in trying to do anything about it.”

“He ruined both of our lives though!” Grunkle Stan snapped, turning his glare toward his brother.

Stanley shrugged. “Actually, he didn’t, really. I’ve been in the dimension where my project never got ruined, and it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. We’re better off in this timeline.”

“That’s a paradox if I ever heard one,” Pacifica stated, rolling her eyes. “You pretty much just said that you hate him, and now you’re saying that he did you a favor?”

“The mind is a complicated thing, Llama,” Bill said, relaxing only slightly. “You see, he hates what I did more than he hates me, and he hates the possibility of what could have been had I not ruined his project more than the outcome of it.”

“Stand down Ford,” Stanley advised. “It’s Christmas, let us enjoy what we have now. There are presents to open, and I personally am interested to hear about Dad being apprenticed to Bill.”

“Oh, I can tell you all about it,” Bill said, grinning gleefully. “Let me tell you, Filly here made a fool out of himself more times than he can count!”

“You  _ see?”  _ Stanley emphasized before anyone else could say anything. “Just sit back down and try to enjoy yourself. No harm, no foul.”

“Excuse me, but there was a  _ lot  _ of foul,” Grunkle Stan grumbled, but he listened and sat back down. Tentatively, Bill did the same thing.

“Alright, so you guys wanna hear the story of how Filly and I began?” Bill asked with a grin. Upon almost everyone’s agreement, he nodded. “Right, so-”

“I’m going to go get something to drink from the kitchen,” Filbrick interrupted brusquely, standing. “Don’t wait up for me.” He made his exit swiftly, leaving the room in silence.

Carrie sniffed once in disdain, crossing her arms over her chest. “You might as well go on then,” she said. Something in her seemed to shift even as she was saying the words though, her demeanor becoming more curious. “Filbrick never told me anything about your training sessions together; it’s probably one of the few things in his life I don’t know about.”

Bill smiled at her, not unkindly this time. “Of course,” he replied smoothly. “I owe you this much at least, my dear Caroline.” 

“Okay, so the story starts a good few years before you two were born,” Bill began, gesturing to Grunkle Stan and Lee. “You, my dear, were manning your own business, while Filly was busy managing the mafia.”

“Hold up,” Dipper cut in. “You mean to tell me that Filbrick was a mob boss?”

“He was,” Carrie confirmed, nodding. “So how did he get magic?” 

“Easy.” Bill grinned sharply, his eye glinting with mischief. “He made a deal with me for it. He wanted to ensure that he stayed leader of the mafia, and I gave him the means for it.”

“Not that he actually showed much of an aptitude for it,” he added after a thoughtful pause. “He was almost like Sixer in that regard, although he actually  _ did  _ try. Gotta give credit where it’s due.”

“So what did you get in return though?” Dipper asked curiously. After all, none of Bill’s deals ever came without a price, and there was no way this was the exception. 

“Simple.” Bill turned his gaze onto him, and he didn’t miss the way the demon’s eye flickered. “Him having magic was useful to me. It made Weirdmageddon a possibility, ensured that it would happen. That was the only payment I ever needed.”

“Alright,” Carrie said with a nod. “So Stanley and Dipper can use magic too, you were saying?”

“Yes,” Bill answered, looking back at her. “In order to ensure my success, it was important for future generations of the Pines family to be able to use magic too.”

“Does that mean I can do it too?” Mabel piped up enthusiastically. 

Bill laughed. “No, but I daresay you don’t need it. You and magic would be nothing if not dangerous. You see, the ability only transferred to a male member of the family, and only to one. Thus, Sixer and not Stanford. Dipper, not you.”

“Sexist much?” Mabel muttered, raising an eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Bill told her. “The deal was made in a time when women still weren’t respected and it was  Filly’s dream that the mafia be passed down among his children to ensure its survival and their success. He gave up the idea though, when Sixer found that his passions lied in books and knowledge.” He grinned wryly. “Fordsy here would have been good at that, though. Guess I picked the wrong kid to have it, huh?”

“Which you likely did on purpose,” Filbrick sneered as he walked back into the room. He carried two tall glasses of water, the second which he passed to Carrie. “I should have realized your true nature the moment Stanley’s project was ruined.”

“You should have long before that,” Bill disagreed. “But I digress. I’m ready to move on to the presents now.”

“Yes yes!” Mabel exclaimed excitedly. She twisted around and reached behind her, emerging a moment later with a wrapped box and an envelope -  the first two presents of Christmas. The envelope went to Stanford, and the box to Stanley. “You guys go first. These are from Pacifica and I.”

“You didn’t have to get us anything sweetie,” Stanley protested, even as he carefully started undoing the wrapping paper.

“What I wanna know is why you got the box and I didn’t,” Grunkle Stan grunted as he opened his envelope.

“Now now, it’s the thought of the gift that matters,” Pacifica chided, clicking her tongue piteously. “Seriously, you’d think two grown men would understand that.”

Mabel didn’t say anything. Her hands were clasped and raised to her mouth, and her eyes were sparkling with eager anticipation. She was excited to see their reactions, that much Dipper knew without even having to look at her. 

That was how Mabel operated, after all. She always went to great lengths to personalize every gift she ever gave out, and she always looked forward to seeing if they liked it more than she looked forward to getting her own gifts.

Beside him, Bill chuckled. “Oh, he’s gonna like this,” he said quietly to Dipper, reaching out and taking his hand. He gave it a single squeeze, conveying everything he couldn’t say just then. “Just you wait and see.”

“...And it’s a polaroid of a boat,” Grunkle Stan deadpanned, holding it out and showing it off to everyone. “Thanks.”

“There’s more!” Mabel burst out, unable to contain herself a moment later. “Go on, give it a look!”

“Alright,” Grunkle Stan murmured, reaching back into the envelope. Everyone watched him curiously to see what he would find, even Stanley, who had stopped unwrapping his own gift. 

The second and last thing he pulled out was a small piece of paper that looked like it had been from a notebook. That made Dipper curious, even though he thought he might have an idea of what Mabel’s gift was. 

For several moments, Grunkle Stan just stared at whatever was written on the piece of paper with wide eyes. 

“Mabel…” he breathed. “You- you didn’t have to do this for us.”

“What is it?” Stanley asked, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of it.

“She bought us a boat,” Grunkle Stan told him, holding the paper out to his brother.

“No lie,” Stanley read out. “I wasn’t really too sure what to get either of you two this year for Christmas. After all, you both have each other and so much more since mine and Dipper’s first year here, immaterial things that I could never top. This idea finally came to me last week, and Pacifica helped me out with the details and pulled some strings so it would be possible. She’s all yours.” He lowered the paper, giving Mabel a small smile. “Thank you, both of you. I can’t believe you even remembered that this was something we wanted to do.”

Mabel shrugged. “How could I forget?” she teased, grinning. “It’s only been your biggest dream since you were kids.”

Grunkle Stan chuckled. “Well yeah, but I gave up on it a while back; it’s expensive to go out to sea.”

“Well now you won’t have to worry about it,” Pacifica told them smoothly. “She’s all taken care of, and her maintenance is completely up to date. All you guys have to worry about is not wrecking her.”

“Thank you, girls,” Grunkle Stan murmured, unable to say anything more. 

Stanley resumed opening his gift with a new fervor now that he probably had some idea of what it was. Sure enough, a moment later he pulled out a couple of books detailing both how to run a ship and how to take care of it. Mabel had also gotten him a map of the ocean, highlighting the most used routes, trade stops, and areas of general interest.

“I figured that even though you guys always wanted to go out to sea, there was a high chance neither of you would actually know what you’re doing,” Mabel explained. “So I figured I’d help you out a little on that front.”

“Thank you,” Stanley told her. “I'm sure these will come handy at sea, especially the map. Lord knows we'd probably get lost a thousand times over, especially with my brother at the helm.”

“Getting lost is half the fun though,” Stanley defended. “It's boring to always know exactly where you're going.”

“Alright, it's your turn Bill,” Mabel said, reaching out behind her again and pulling out a very lumpy package. 

“Oh gee,” Bill murmured sarcastically as he took it from her. “I wonder what it could be.”

“Be nice.” Dipper elbowed him in the side, though gently enough so that it wouldn't actually hurt. “Mabel spent a lot of time working on this.”

“Oh, I know she did,” Bill told him. He started peeling back the tape on his gift slowly, sticking his tongue out a little in concentration. “Still, it's amusing that she's that predictable.”

“And what did  _ you  _ get any of  _ us,  _ huh?” Pacifica asked snarkily, placing a hand on her hip indignantly. “I don't see you pulling out presents from anywhere.”

“Point,” Bill conceded. “But Mabel's giving her gifts out first, or is that not how we're doing this?” He finished pulling the tape and wrapping paper away from his present, grinning as he held it out for everyone to see.

“Masterfully done, Star!” he complimented, beaming. “I especially like the eye stitched on the hood, that’s bound to freak people out!”

Bill’s gift was, predictably in the demon’s mind, a bright yellow hoodie that contained his demon form on the front to an extent. The torso of the hoodie had a thick brick pattern stitched abstractly on it, fading the further down it went. A large black bowtie was stitched in on the neck, and the hoodie was completed by the eye.

_ All in all, very Bill-like indeed,  _ Dipper thought with a smile as he paid his own compliments to his twin. 

“You’re next Dipper!” Mabel told him, offering no room for arguments as she placed the next gift in his lap. This one was, unlike Bill’s, in a square box and offered no indication as to what it was. 

Dipper wasted absolutely no time in opening his gift, eager to find out what Mabel had gotten him. While normally she at least asked him what he wanted or what would be useful every year, this time she’d remained silent. 

She’d gotten him a messenger bag, it turned out. Leather to be exact, and probably more expensive than he deserved. “Mabel, this is wonderful,” he praised, opening it up and checking it out. While it for sure wouldn’t hold more than one large book, it would do good for a couple of notebooks and writing supplies, as well as a quick field guide that detailed little more than the very basics. 

It was great, but…

“I already have a bag Mabes,” he told her, chuckling ruefully. “I mean, it’s nice and everything, but I’d never use it.”

“Nonsense!” Mabel declared with a grin. “As of today, your old bag is retiring. Don’t think I didn’t notice the fraying it had in the corners Dipper, not even the best of my ability could probably save that thing from certain doom.”

“This is perfect then,” Dipper told her, closing the bag and fastening the buckle it had. “I’ll start using it right away.”

Mabel nodded. “See to it that you do.”

Gift giving continued in the same fashion for a while, presents being handed out one at a time. It was a slower affair than it had been years previous, but then again, there were eight instead of just four. Dipper was content to let it last. They had all day, after all. 

Dipper still hadn’t managed to think of anything to get for his great grandparents and Tad had ruined any and all chances of him doing some last minute shopping, so he apologized profusely for having nothing. Carrie had reassured that their visit to Gravity Falls was more than enough; they were with family and out and about this year for the holidays instead of alone at home. Mabel had come through in the gift department though, giving Carrie a set of tarot cards and Filbrick a new cane that had gnomes and mermaids and little golf people carved into the wood. In good nature, they excused themselves shortly after that for a quick nap. Oregon was much different from New York, according to Filbrick, so thus it was harder to adjust to sleep-wise.

Pacifica loved the perfume Dipper had gotten her, stating only that she hadn’t thought him capable of something so classy. She was smiling though, letting him know that it was a lighthearted tease. Because Bill had been gone the past month, the only other gift for her to receive would be from Mabel, who had apparently already exchanged gifts with her right after midnight last night. 

As for Mabel herself, she delighted in the yarn swift and knit kit Dipper had gotten her, as well as the two different yarn rolls she’d received from Grunkle Stan. Stanley had gotten her a yarn bowl and some new needles, which she assured him would come in handy, especially as the winter progressed and she knitted more sweaters. 

Finally, it came time for Dipper to receive his own presents. Alongside the messenger bag from Mabel, Pacifica had gotten him a field guide on wildlife and plants found in Oregon, ‘just in case’ and a new notebook to continue his own research in. Stanley, much to his shock and initial protests, gifted him with the three original journals, and then Grunkle Stan handed him a singular envelope. 

Despite the knowledge that size of the gift didn’t always necessarily equate worth and that it was selfish to measure gifts that way, Dipper couldn’t help but feel that somehow he was being shorthanded again.

“Just open it,” Grunkle Stan insisted, smiling widely. “You’ll love it, I promise.”

“Yeah yeah,” Dipper huffed, rolling his eyes as he tore the envelope open at the top. There was only one thing inside, a single sheet of paper from the looks of it. Preparing himself for the worst, Dipper pulled it out.

And stared.

“Th-the deed to the shack?” he asked, his voice cracking. Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over before he could even notice, blurring his vision. He blinked furiously, willing himself to see straight again and his eyes to quit burning. “You’re giving me the shack?”

“Yup,” Grunkle Stan replied, reaching out and ruffling his hair. He sounded proud, though Dipper couldn’t fathom why. He hadn’t worked at all the past month, surely he wasn’t even  _ deserving  _ of it. 

Finally giving up, he pulled off his glasses and wiped at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. “But- I haven’t even-”

“You’ve earned it,” Grunkle Stan said simply, his tone softening. “Depression aside, you’ve worked hard to take over, and I think you’re ready. This has been my plan for a while, your sister’s gift only solidifies it. She’s all yours.”

“I- I don’t know what to say,” Dipper mumbled, wiping at his eyes again and wishing he would stop crying.

Beside him, Bill chuckled quietly. “Your tears are enough, Pine Tree,” he murmured. “Fordsy can’t stop smiling; this has made him really happy.”

Dipper sniffed and nodded, not trusting himself to form any sort of coherent speech. A tissue was pressed into his free hand, and he immediately set to work on drying his eyes.

“This really means a lot to me,” he mumbled when he was finished. His voice was still a little wobbly, but at least he could see again. “Thank you so much, Grunkle Stan.” 

He waved it off. “I was getting to be too old to really stick around here much longer anyway,” he said, even though Dipper was pretty sure it was a lie. “And besides, being a homeowner isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when all those years of tax evasion catches up. It’s better this way.”

“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel scolded, “I thought I told you to take care of all that last year.”

Dipper’s eyes widened at the thought of tax season coming around, and possibly not having enough money to pay it all. “Hold up, how much is it?”

“Hmm…” Grunkle Stan thought for a good minute, tilting his head to the side as he no doubt calculated the figures. “When you consider that I’ve been consistently breaking the law since I got kicked out of home, and then moved into this place when things went sour with Sixer….that’s a good thirty-two years at least, so…I’m guessing, it’s going to have to be around 37, if not more.”

_ “Thousand?!”  _ Dipper spluttered, the blood draining from his face. “You- you’ve gotta be kidding me, why?!” 

“Hey,” Bill murmured, giving his hand a squeeze. “Relax Dipper, it’ll be okay. I’ve got some gold buried around this town that it’s about high time I started using; we can just pay it off with that. No big.”

“I- You can’t just- I can’t just let you sit back and just pay for that though,” Dipper protested, glancing at him. “That’s not- it’s not fair to make you shoulder that alone.”

Bill shrugged, grinning lopsidedly at him. “It’s kind of my fault anyone’s in this mess to begin with, at least let me take care of this for you.” He looked up at Grunkle Stan, speaking his next words carefully. “We’ll consider it even for the whole science fair thing.”

A moment passed, and then Grunkle Stan nodded. “That sounds fair,” he muttered, sounding embarrassed. “Sorry to just shove that all on your shoulders, Dipper. That really wasn’t my intention behind the gift.”

“I know,” Dipper said, giving him a small smile. He got to his feet, pulling Bill along with him. “Now, if you guys will please excuse me, I left Bill’s gift in my room, and I really want to give it to him. We’ll be back down by dinner, promise.”

“That’s only going to be about an hour at most,” Pacifica warned, rolling her eyes. “I expect you guys to be decent and on time, Paolo’s worked really hard on this.”

“We will be,” Dipper reassured, giving Bill’s hand a gentle tug to indicate that he was ready to go.

“See you guys in a bit!” Bill said cheerfully, following after Dipper as he left. He curled his fingers around Dipper’s and gave his hand a small squeeze. Dipper glanced over his shoulder at the demon, and his heart melted at the smile Bill was giving him.

The walk up to his room was a silent one, though Dipper found that he didn’t mind all that much. It gave him a chance to figure out how to give Bill his gift  _ -what if he didn’t even like it?-  _ and think about how he would deal with any worst-case scenarios.

Much as the walk was silent, it was also short and they reached the bedroom before Dipper was really ready.

“Sooo…” Bill began slyly, slipping his hand out of Dipper’s and moving to sit on his bed. “What’s this gift you were talking about?”

Despite his initial nervousness, Dipper couldn’t help but smile. “So impatient,” he teased, walking over to his nightstand.

“I didn’t get a chance to wrap it,” he started, ignoring the way his heart began to beat faster in trepidation. “Between Tad and everything...and honestly, I didn’t think I’d get to see you again this soon if ever at all.” He laughed wryly, opening up the nightstand and gazing down at the necklace. “You made how you felt pretty clear on Thanksgiving, after all. But either way, this has just kind of been sitting in here.” He opened up the drawer and picked up the necklace, careful to keep it out of Bill’s sight as he curled his hand into a fist, then turned around to face him.

“To be clear, you already know my side of things from that day,” Bill reminded him, rolling his eye. “I don’t want to argue though, so let’s just move past that.”

Dipper nodded, swallowing nervously. “I don’t want to argue either,” he murmured, taking a step toward Bill. “In fact, that was why I decided on the gift that I did; I thought that  _ I  _ needed to prove myself to  _ you  _ to bring you back.”

Bill’s features softened. “You never needed to prove anything to me, Pine Tree,” he said gently. “You know that, right?”

Dipper nodded again. “Close your eye,” he mumbled, taking another step. He wanted Bill to be  _ surprised,  _ damnit, and that wasn’t going to happen so long as he was looking at Dipper with that calculating little gaze of his. 

Bill obediently did so, and Dipper took a deep breath and uncurled his fist, taking a good moment to straighten out the necklace and make sure it was still in perfect condition. When he was satisfied with it, he choked out a nervous “okay” and waited.

Bill’s reaction didn’t disappoint. There was a small pause before he opened his eye again, only large enough to be noticeable, and then he got a good look at the necklace and inhaled deeply.

“Oh,” he breathed, his eye widening. “Dipper, I love it.” He reached out and carefully took the necklace, drawing it close to his face for inspection. His expression lit up in delight as he studied it, his free hand slowly moving over the teeth.

“This is so perfect,” he murmured, smiling. “I really like the beads. And the different teeth! Lemme see...you’ve got elk here, yes...and the sharp ones look like mountain lion maybe?” He considered that for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope. Hmm...those are bear, actually. Been awhile since I’ve seen them.” 

As his free hand reached the next tooth in line, he belted out a sharp laugh. “Deer teeth! For me, how wonderful! And then, another pointed one. Coyote, the little weak fucks they are. Wolves are so much better, though I understand that you probably couldn’t get ahold of them. And- hmm, what have we here?”

Finally, Bill had reached the lone tooth in the middle. Dipper’s heart sped up as one of Bill’s fingers circled slowly around the tooth as the demon hummed contently. 

“Now, this one’s a lot more unique,” Bill said with a little grin. “Very small and blunt. I’d almost think dog, but it’s too differently shaped and dog would be much too boring to put on such a fine piece of jewelry.” He fell silent for a few moments as he studied the tooth, then finally spoke again. 

“A human’s tooth, that’s what this one is. Quite the creepy little gift you’ve got here, if I do say so myself. Question is, where’d you get the tooth? You surely didn’t go grave robbing all to attract little old  _ me,  _ did you? It’s a smaller tooth though, so from an adolescent which would make it so much more scandalous! Or maybe it’s-” He broke off as realization hit.

“Oh,” Bill said quietly, lowering the necklace. His eye darkened, appearing more dull. “Dipper...this one’s yours. You put one of your teeth on a necklace for me.”

Dipper nodded, his heart plummeting. Bill didn’t like it. He couldn’t, why else would he pause so suddenly like that? Why  _ else  _ would his expression just shift so suddenly?

Bill reached out a hand to him, though, seeming to contradict the thought. “Come here,” he murmured, his voice sounding a little thick.

Unsure of himself, Dipper took it. In the span of a second, he was pulled onto the bed with Bill and flipped, and then it felt like the life was being squeezed out of him.

_ This is it then,  _ he thought dazedly, screwing his eyes shut.  _ Bill really does hate it, and now he’s trying to kill me.  _

The thought was only able to persist for a moment before the pressure let up and he could breathe normally again, and Dipper opened his eyes to find that Bill was hugging him. The demon’s breath was hot against Dipper’s neck as he murmured unintelligible words and hesitantly, Dipper hugged him back and closed his eyes again.

Bill understood. That much, he didn’t have to guess at anymore. It was evident in their current position, in the way Bill nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply. 

Dipper had no idea just how long they laid there and held each other, but he loved every second of it. The demon’s presence was comforting to him in the way their breathing synced, in the way they fit together, even after all this time.

To Dipper, Bill was home.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.


	33. Chapter 33

“Are you guys sure you really want to do this so soon?” Dipper asked as he watched Grunkle Stan and Grandpa Stanley load up the last of their boxes into the car. “I mean, you can stay a while longer; there’s no rush or anything.”

“We’re sure, kiddo,” Stanley told him with a light chuckle. He reached a hand out and ruffled Dipper’s hair fondly. “A new year - new start, right? It’s high time that we moved on from this town. You kids more than have it handled.”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Just let them go, Bro-Bro,” Mabel told him gently, laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She gave him a sympathetic smile. “This has been their dream since they were kids; it’s time that they lived it.”

“Besides,” Pacifica added, coming out onto the porch and leaning up against the door, “their gift is going to go to waste otherwise. This will be good for them.”

Dipper sighed, nodding reluctantly. “You’re right,” he acquiesced. “I guess I’m just worried, is all. Anything could happen to you guys out there, and we’d be none the wiser.”

“We’ll call you every time we make a stop at port,” Grunkle Stan promised.

“And I’ll send you my field notes of anything out of the ordinary I happen to find,” Stanley added. “That way, you can add it to the journals.”

“It's about time for you guys to get going,” Pacifica announced, checking her phone. “If you want to leave port by one.”

“Right then,” Grunkle Stan said, shutting the trunk of the car. He opened his arms, and Dipper was quick to step into his familiar and secure embrace.

“You be good while I’m gone, you hear?” Grunkle Stan murmured roughly into Dipper’s hair. “Keep Cipher in line for us.”

Dipper chuckled, hugging Grunkle Stan back tightly, then stepping back again. “I will,” he promised. “Though, I don’t think he’s going to be as much of an issue as you do. Honestly, he’ll probably have to be the one that keeps  _ me  _ in line.”

“Where is he now, then?” Grunkle Stan asked, not  _ quite  _ as suspicious as he could have been, given the circumstances.

“Doing some intensive investigating in the woods,” Dipper replied easily, shrugging. “He wants to do some aura checking, confirm his suspicions. He said he’d be back in a little bit.”

“Are you kids going to tell us what’s going on, or will we have to find out  _ after  _ everything goes to hell?” Stanley mused wryly. “I don’t want to get a letter from your sister telling us that you’ve burned down the house or something.”

“I’ll keep an eye on them both until Paz and I go back to school,” Mabel promised cheerfully, giving them a mocking salute.

“Not that it’ll be needed,” Dipper reassured hastily, shooting his twin a pointed look. “Bill and I can take perfectly good care of ourselves.”

“And I don’t doubt that for a moment,” Mabel retorted with a small smirk. “I think they’re talking more about-”

“Time,” Pacifica interrupted then, the reminder gentle but firm.

“Right,” Stanley announced. “We should get going.”

They took a few more minutes to say their goodbyes, with Dipper stubbornly insisting that  _ no,  _ there were  _ not  _ tears in his eyes, thank you very much. Where his shared hug with Grunkle Stan had been heartfelt and sentimental, his goodbye with Grandpa Stanley was much more impersonal. Professional almost, but filled with no less love.

When at last they set off, the trio watched the car until it was long out of sight, a sense of melancholy washing over Dipper. Mabel was right, he knew. Stanford and Stanley both more than deserved a break from the blow that life had dealt them, but a large part of him couldn’t fathom waking up in the mornings and not having them around.

"We should head inside," Pacifica finally suggested after a few minutes had gone by. "It's pretty cold out here, and I'm in the mood for some food. What did you say Cipher’s doing again, Dipper? Mabel and I were planning on having something of a New Year’s celebration tonight, and it would be stupid if he weren’t here for it."

"He’s just messing around in the woods," Dipper replied, waving a hand dismissively. "But he left before the sun was up. I wouldn't be surprised if he were just lazing around my room at this point, to be honest."

“I would hope so,” Pacifica commented. “Because someone’s been rearranging things on the sly in here all day, and it certainly wasn’t me or Mabel.”

They went inside, and Dipper almost found himself surprised at the near-transformation that had occurred within. It had only been a little while since he had last been in there, but the fact that the house seemed different was still evident.

It wasn't a  _ negative  _ change, Dipper mused as he looked around, ignoring whatever Mabel and Pacifica were talking about behind him. Even though the shack looked different, it felt no less like home. He took off his coat and hung it on one of the hooks by the door, then toed off his shoes and set off to go find out where Bill had gone.

At a glance, it was obvious that he'd already gotten his hands on the living room. The rearrangements weren't  _ too  _ many, the shelves and knick knacks had gotten dusted off for the most part, the bookshelves rearranged. While the old sofa and chair were still there, Bill had clearly done  _ something  _ to them to make them look nicer, and the furniture had been shifted to give the room a new layout. It felt larger, in a way.

As Dipper walked through the rest of the shack, he could see little nuances of Bill’s interior decorating here and there, small things that made Dipper smile when he saw them. There was something sentimental about it, like the idea that Bill was making the place  _ his,  _ like he’d never really considered it home before then. The thought made something in Dipper’s chest tighten a little, made his heart beat just a bit faster.

He finally found Bill in their shared room, scrutinizing the decor (lack of, if Dipper were being entirely honest with himself). He turned around when Dipper knocked lightly on the door twice, his lips curling slightly upward at the ends.

“Hey there,” he greeted, resting his weight against one side of the door frame.  He crossed his arms loosely over his chest and offered Bill a smile. “I see you’ve been rearranging.”

“I have,” Bill agreed, looking back at the room in large. "Don't you think we should make it nicer, now that it's under our management?" He hummed thoughtfully, adding as an afterthought, "we should change this room next."

“I dunno, the shack as it is has a natural charm,” Dipper pointed out, disagreeing just for the sake of it. “Where would we be without the spots of mold on the ceiling, after all?”

Bill made a face. “Probably healthier,” he quipped back, quirking an eyebrow.

“Not that we’ve ever had any issues in the first place,” Dipper said, smirking. “But you might be onto something. What were you thinking?”

Bill took a deep breath, pivoting to face Dipper. His hands were clasped together in front of his chest, and his expression was more earnest and nervous than Dipper had ever seen it before. “I was thinking,” he began, hesitating only for a moment, “that maybe, just possibly, since the house is ours- well, yours now- that maybe it’s time for you to change rooms. You’ve been sleeping in this attic since you were a kid.”

For a moment, Dipper seriously considered what Bill was saying. While he had grown terribly fond of the small room he and Mabel had called theirs for the past seven years, he had to admit that the demon had a fair point. The room seemed so much smaller than it had when he was a kid, and was more cramped than anything now. And while he would always love it and the crazy state it existed in, the room itself would need some repairs sooner or later.

"Alright," he found himself agreeing. "Where to?"

Bill bit his lip, and silence ensued for the next few minutes as he thought. "Maybe... Sixer's old room? Rearrange it, make it ours?"

Dipper made a small face. "It's hard to think about staying in a room any one of the Stans once occupied," he admitted with a small chuckle.

"Well, we'll buy new mattresses and stuff," Bill said quickly, grimacing. "Because lord knows when the last time  _ anything  _ in this hovel was updated, but also because, just- no."

"Alright," Dipper hummed, nodding. "That's fair."

"How long until dinner?" Bill asked, glancing back around.

He seemed more fidgety than usual, but Dipper wasn't going to press it. He trusted Bill to tell him if something were up, and he knew that he would be the first to know if something  _ were  _ wrong. While their relationship was still on a somewhat shaky foundation after the turmoil of the past near half a year, it was one built from a new beginning.

"It'll probably be a good few hours," Dipper replied easily. "Thinking of going shopping?"

Bill's nose crinkled in thought. "Maybe," he said slowly. "I kind of want to, but this is usually something people do together. Plus, I know the girls are planning something for tonight, so I don’t want to infringe on that."

“I think you’ll be back long before midnight,” Dipper pointed out with a grin. “And if it helps any, I mostly trust your judgment. Just don't bring back anything too bloody or creepy, and we'll call it good."

Bill nodded, and it was more than obvious that whatever was on his mind was really weighing him down. Whatever it was, Dipper hoped like hell that he would talk to him later about it.

"You gonna head out, then?" Dipper prodded gently. "I can get started with cleaning, and we can get stuff taken care of when you get back."

"That sounds good." Bill offered him a smile, and just that small action in and of itself set off small flutters in Dipper's chest that he immediately squashed down. “I’ll be back in a few hours, then.”

“Don’t spoil dinner,” Dipper warned good-naturedly. “I don’t think Mabel would be able to find it in her heart to forgive you if you did.”

“I won’t.”

“Do you need the car keys?”

Bill scoffed. “With what license? I’ll just blip over and be back when I’m done.”

Dipper stared at him for a few moments, his eyes narrowing a little in concern. While it was true that he hadn’t spent near enough time with Bill is the past few months to learn what was really  _ normal  _ for him, something just seemed too  _ off  _ for everything to be okay.

(Although, when had there ever been a normal? For the greater part of the summer Bill had been pretending to be Will- although, was  _ that  _ even an act?- and then he and Dipper had been tiptoeing around each other until Thanksgiving had gone and happened, and even now, Bill was still just beginning to get settled in.)

“Alright,” he said slowly, opting not to comment on it for the time being.  _ Whenever Bill was ready,  _ he reminded himself.

He and Bill walked downstairs together, not really saying much on the way. Dipper commented every once in awhile on the demon's decorating style, and in turn Bill would elaborate on his choices if it were warranted. The only thing Bill told Mabel and Pacifica was that he would be going out, and that he would return in a little while.

It seemed, then, like he was there one moment and gone the next. For all Dipper knew, that was entirely the case. There was no sound to him ‘blipping’ away, and he disappeared too suddenly to really fade out, like movies had depicted teleportation to be like before.

"Doesn't seem like he's really all that dedicated to you after all," Pacifica remarked, an eyebrow raising as she stared at the place Bill had been standing just a minute earlier. "If he's just 'going out', as he put it."

"He doesn't need to be," Dipper said simply, shrugging. "Bill doesn't owe me anything, Pacifica."

She snorted. "I don't think I'm ever going to understand how your mind works," she retorted, and while her words were spoken with a bite, her eyes conveyed the concern her tone wouldn't.

Even though Dipper himself still wasn't very sure of  _ anything,  _ really, he offered her a small smile and another half shrug. "And that's okay," was all he said in reply.

"I think he'll be fine," Mabel said brightly in Dipper's defense. "Bill's got a good heart; he's just shit at conveying it."

She was working on prepping some chocolate chip cookie mix for them to make together later, to be eaten that night after dinner. It was the first thing that she had planned for them to do, now that the adults were out of the house and there were no more reasons to be stressed.

They all sat in the kitchen together for awhile, chatting about anything and everything- from the fact that Mabel and Pacifica would have to return to Los Angeles for school just a few days after the new year, to small things as mundane as what they were planning on having for dinner that night. (Which, after a few good words of debate, they finally agreed that it was a soup kind of night. After a few more minutes of bickering between chicken noodle and classic vegetable, they settled on the chicken and noodle.)

Once the girls began shifting from cookie prep to dinner prep, Dipper opted to make good on his word to Bill and began cleaning up a little around the house. Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot to be done. While Stanford and Stanley had never been the  _ neatest  _ of people, the house was ordinarily well kept enough that it just needed a little bit of organizing here and there. Which, Dipper found that he was able to do that with ease once he put his mind to it.

Finally, after a lot more internal debate than was strictly necessary, Dipper finally went to what used to be Stanley's room to scope it out. Luckily for him and Bill, Stanley had always been the neater of the two twins, keeping most of his clutter in the lab that, Dipper realized with a small jolt of surprise, was also technically his now.

While it brought on an immense rush of pride and satisfaction, it also brought with it a pang of morose nostalgia. It seemed like it had been just last week that he was being asked by Stanley if he wanted to be his apprentice, and now here he was- stepping fully into his grandfather's shoes and making his own way into the paranormal science community- even though he had yet to truly begin.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the hours passed and after what felt like the third one, Dipper began wondering when Bill would be back. It wasn't that he didn't trust the demon to return, it was just that... well. He didn't quite believe that Bill would. It was a petty fear that nagged at the back of his mind, but a part of him couldn't help but jump to the conclusion that Bill had ditched him again. It was the same part of his mind that had been impeding him for years, the very same part that had ground into his thoughts that he should hide his sexuality in shame, the same part that had led him to push away most friends he had until he was alone.

His cleaning long done, Dipper sighed and made his way out of what was going to become his (and Bill's, he would not let the voice win over him, he  _ would not _ ) room and retreated back up to the attic. There was always packing that could be done, as well as more organizing.

He worked for a little bit on that, humming as he went along. The noise was simultaneously distracting and soothing, and he didn't feel quite as alone with the small amount of sound permeating the silence. He could occasionally hear snippets of laughter from the girls in the kitchen, an exclaimed name every once in awhile, and it brought a smile to his lips.

Sometime in the midst of cleaning he brought out the journals and began reading over the pages anew, taking in information that he'd learned by heart in the middle of the night over years of secrecy in his parent's home.

It was only when Bill cleared his throat quietly from behind him that Dipper stopped reading, dropping the first journal in his surprise. He got to his feet quickly, a wide smile spreading across his lips. "You came back," he said by way of greeting.

Bill rolled his eye. "Excellent observation skills," he replied, his tone amused. "The furniture store people are going to be delivering the mattresses and bed frame in a few days. I want to get the room painted by then."

Dipper's lips quirked into a half frown. "You're not going to do the magic thingy, like what you have in your own room?" he asked, feeling a little disappointed that it seemed to be the case.

"It drains my magic continuously," Bill explained. "And I'll be needing all the strength I can get, if we're going to eventually confront Seraphine."

Dipper exhaled sharply, all thoughts fleeing his mind instantaneously. "Right," he murmured. "I wasn't even thinking about that."

Bill gave a small shrug. "It's an easy thing to forget about," he pointed out. "Especially right now; you're still caught up in the festivities of the holiday time."

Dipper nodded in understanding. "So did you get anything yet? And how did you pay for it?" he asked, now curious to see what Bill had picked to decorate their room, if he had even picked anything.

"Just a few different things here and there," Bill replied mysteriously, smirking when Dipper huffed in frustration. "And I've told you before, I've got a good stash of gold saved up. People usually don't tend to question that kind of thing- which, you should very well know yourself."

"Do I at least get to help pick out what color the room will be?"

"Dark grey," Bill told him matter-of-factly. "It's easy to pair more bright and vibrant colors with it, and it's also easier on the eyes."

Dipper nodded, relaxing. Dark grey was good, he could work with that. In fact, it sounded perfect. "You did good," he praised lightly, giving Bill a smile.

"Thank you." Bill closed his eyes, sniffing the air slowly. "Mmmm," he hummed, sounding delighted. "Whatever the girls made for dinner smells amazing. I'm starving."

"You didn't eat lunch?" Dipper asked in a concerned tone as he held out his hand. Bill took it, and he curled their fingers together. "Why not?" he questioned, when Bill didn't immediately respond.

"Eh. Wasn't a priority." Bill tugged him toward the door, and they walked downstairs together in near-silence. He was back to being shifty and closed off again, but Dipper opted not to say anything.

He did give Bill's hand a light squeeze, though. "You should have eaten," he chastised softly. "If not here, than at... wherever you went."

"Sorry," Bill's voice dropped a little as they entered the kitchen. "I've just had a lot on my mind."

Dipper nodded to show acknowledgment. "Hey guys," he greeted Mabel and Pacifica cheerfully.

"Hey there!" Mabel beamed at the two of them. "You guys are just in time for dinner. We made some chicken noodle soup."

"I figured it was best to go classic," Pacifica said in a near deadpan, trying to sound nonchalant about it. Dipper could hear the undertones of excitement in her voice though, and it made him want to grin.

"I'm sure you guys did a wonderful job," Bill said appraisingly. He let go of Dipper's hand to cross the room and pulled out four bowls from the cabinet above the sink. It warmed Dipper's heart to find that even after being gone for over a month, Bill still remembered where everything was.

They went about setting the table for dinner and tidying up the space in general while the girls worked on their last-minute prep for the food. They brought everything out to the table a few minutes later, and dinner commenced. It was a mostly cheerful affair, with the four of them making light conversation about what the girls were going to do for the next semester and the renovations Bill and Dipper were planning.

"I'm going to be doing some stuff with it, if you haven't figured that out yet," Bill said in between bites of soup. "And tomorrow, I'm going to put up an official sign stating that we'll be closed for the rest of the winter season."

"Is that really the best business venture, though?" Pacifica questioned thoughtfully. "My parents, despite all the wrong that they've done in their lives, were probably right when they used to preach to me about how it's better to be available at anyone's beck and call. It results in less disappointed people, and more money."

"Bill and I already did the math for it," Dipper piped up quickly, seeing that Bill was beginning to bristle in irritation. "We actually have small enough traffic during the wintertime that we won't be losing a lot by keeping it closed for those few months. Plus, it'll give us enough time to work through finances and come up with new ideas to keep things fresh." It would also allow them plenty of time to work on their demon problem, and maybe even spend some time together, but he didn't mention that.

"You guys have really been thinking this through, then," Mabel said, beaming.

"Of course we have!" Bill interjected, sounding scandalized. "I'm not the kind of person to  _ ever  _ go into a situation without a lot of forethought, and this is pretty much Dipper's  _ life _ we're talking about."

"Oh yeah?" Pacifica challenged loftily, an eyebrow raising. Her spoon was poised at eye level and pointed at him accusingly. "If that's the case, why did you just vanish for over a month? Where did you  _ go,  _ Cipher? If you  _ really  _ put so much thought into your actions before you make them, then just how long have you been thinking about taking off like that, huh? How much thought did you put into how much your leaving would affect Dipper?"

"Pacifica, that's a little-"

"You hush," Now her glare and spoon were directed toward him, and it was more than obvious that she wasn't going to back down from this without a fight. "Cipher needs to know that there are  _ consequences  _ for what he put you through, and if he thinks I'm going to just  _ let this go-" _

"I don't," Bill interrupted. He set his spoon down and pushed his bowl away from him just a little so he could rest his arms on the table. He leaned forward as he spoke, his expression earnest. "That was... there  _ is _ no excuse for my actions over Thanksgiving, and Dipper and I have both talked over it- the  _ full  _ story. Nonetheless, I apologize. I know it can't have been easy for you to stand by, unable to do anything about the way I hurt Dipper. If I could take that back, I would." Pacifica made a small  _ 'hmph'  _ noise, but she allowed him to continue on otherwise.

"I think it might be something that needed to happen, though," he went on, his tone becoming more somber. "Dipper and I were at odds for a long time, and some things were revealed on that night that were only hurting us more by being kept secret. We're better for all that's happened, and I don't think it will again."

Pacifica made another noise of disbelief and turned her attention back to Dipper. "And you agree with him?" she demanded, sounding incredulous.

"I think I do," Dipper replied instantly, shrugging. "It's like he said, we talked about all of this already, and we had both been keeping secrets. Now that it's all out in the open, we can only move forward and relate to each other better."

"Hmm..." Mabel hummed contemplatively.

She'd been silent throughout the entire exchange so far like Dipper had- for the same reason, perhaps? He hadn't said anything because he'd had the feeling that Pacifica really needed to get that off her chest for awhile. He figured that she probably had felt that way, too.

"I think he's sincere, Paz. It takes guts to come up with a speech that heartfelt, only to lie through his teeth throughout it. And honestly, he's too much of a chicken to do that. There's too many people that care about Dipper, and he doesn't want to have to deal with all of them." She grinned crookedly at Bill. "Not to mention, you had a point- he doesn't like dealing with consequences, and will do anything he can to avoid them. Honesty is better." Despite the smile, there was a warning in her tone- there  _ would  _ be hell to pay if something similar ever happened again.

"You've reminded me, though, I have been meaning to talk to you girls." Bill switched the the subject abruptly, looking a little uncomfortable. "Even though you both live out of state for school, I feel like it's important that at least  _ someone  _ knows the entirety of the situation. Just in case." He paused for a moment, glancing at Dipper meaningfully.

He was going to tell them about Seraphine and Tad, Dipper realized as he shakily inclined his head in the slightest nod. That  _ had  _ to be it, because there was no other 'situation' that Dipper could think of being the answer.

"This past summer was a pretty odd one, by all means," he went on. "And I've been secretive about it. Partly because it's a need-to-know kind of thing, and partly because Dipper and I weren't sure that the conclusion we'd come to was an accurate one. Now we're a lot more certain, though."

"This is about the thing in the woods, right?" Pacifica asked curiously.

Dipper nodded. "It is," he confirmed, "but it's also about what happened on Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what you were told after it all happened; I never thought to ask..." He let the thought trail off, wondering if she'd been told about him committing murder, or if even that had been kept a secret.

"It certainly wasn't much," Pacifica muttered, crossing her arms. "There were too many things going on at once, and after the fact, no one wanted to talk about it really. I've made my own assumptions, though. Nice to see that they'll finally be either confirmed or disproved."

"Alright, so. I'm pretty sure you've already been told mostly everything," Bill said to Mabel, his shoulders relaxing some when she nodded. Pacifica made a small noise of disgruntlement, but otherwise remained silent. "That just means you're the only one really getting clued in on things, Llama."

"I know," Pacifica replied, her tone clipped. "If you could get on with it, then?” I’m tired of not knowing, and I’ll likely never get to if you stall  _ now.” _

"You'll have to be quiet and let Dipper and I do the talking then," Bill warned, ire flickering in his eyes. "Because this could take a while."

"Fine," Pacifica agreed easily. "I'll save my questions for the end."

From there, Bill proceeded to tell Pacifica everything- how the rituals in the woods had first begun after he'd become a human to how he'd begun to suspect their true intentions. He told her about Seraphine and Tad Strange, and how he theorized that Tad was working with Seraphine to take over the woods, telling how Dipper had been manipulated into making the deal that eventually had led to the events over Thanksgiving. He went on to reveal that while he'd been gone, he'd been tracking both demons across the entirety of the United States, only to realize that it had been Seraphine's plan the entire time to get him away from Dipper.

"That... sounds like quite the shitshow," Pacifica said in amazement when he finally finished talking. She first gave Dipper a long, searching look, and then Bill. "For both of you. I can't believe you  _ killed  _ someone for this Tad guy, Dipper. And I can't believe you let your stupid pride get to your head, Cipher."

"His reaction was a valid one," Dipper defended, feeling the need to speak up on Bill's behalf. "And the thing with Tad... it was weird, being possessed by him. One moment I was moving on my own, and the next he was controlling me like a puppet."

_ Just like a puppet,  _ he thought bitterly, thinking back to Halloween.  _ I can't believe I never saw the vision for what it was- a warning. _

"I never said it wasn't," Pacifica retorted nonchalantly, rolling her eyes. "But  _ jeez,  _ if you two spent as much time talking as you do being mad at each other and fighting, you wouldn't have this kind of problem. Look at Mabel and I- we fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but we have a closer relationship because we take the time to talk to each other about it later."

"I- That's a valid point too," Dipper murmured, stumbling over his words. He felt like it couldn't really apply to him and Bill, though, because they weren't together. Or were they, and he was just missing the memo? When he really thought about it, he wasn't sure quite  _ how  _ to describe what they were to one another. He'd wanted to be with Bill before Thanksgiving had happened, and he had made that clear with him, but they hadn't spoken about it since he'd come back.

Perhaps... perhaps that would need to change. Later, though. Maybe when Paz and Mabel were distracted by watching the ball drop in LA? Which, thinking of...

"Why aren't you guys going to see the ball drop live?" he asked, voicing his thoughts. "That's usually on most people's bucket lists, right?"

"Usually," Pacifica agreed. "But it's really impersonal. Better to stay with family and friends during the holidays. The company is better, and so is the food. Plus, you don't spend near as much money." She grinned wryly. "I might be a rich heiress, but that doesn't mean I aim to be  _ just  _ like my parents."

"That's fair."

"Hey, you guys made cookies, right?" Bill piped up, standing from his chair and picking up his bowl. "Because I was thinking that I'm going to steal some and celebrate with Dipper up on the roof."

_ "Oh?"  _ Mabel asked, smirking. She followed Bill's motions and collected the other three bowls from the table. "Not even going to celebrate with us after all?"

Bill shrugged, leaving the dining room in favor of going into the kitchen. Mabel went with him, and anything they were saying was drowned out by the sound of the sink running.

"You're thinking too hard," Pacifica piped up quietly, crossing her arms over the table. "What's on your mind, Dipper?"

"Bill and I haven't really established if we're in a relationship or not," Dipper mumbled, tapping a finger against the table. "And I'm not sure how to bring it up to him."

"Ah," Pacifica hummed, nodding. "I get that. Why not do it tonight, then? If he wants to celebrate with just you, it's likely that he's thinking along the same lines as you are."

"I'm kind of nervous, honestly," Dipper admitted. "I mean, this can only be good, but at the same time... it just seems like fate is kinda out to get us, you know?"

"Not fate," Pacifica pointed out. "Just Sera-what's-her-face and Tad. You guys know to expect that by now, so you can work  _ past  _ it," she emphasized. "And if you don't try, you're never going to know what the outcome will be. Get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Dipper replied, nodding. "I think I do."

"Good." Pacifica pushed her chair back and stood, somehow managing to make even that look graceful and poised. "Now, I think it's high time we carry on with our plans, no? Even if we do only have a few hours to go until midnight, I get the feeling Cipher won't stop at anything to get you by yourself again." She smirked, winking suggestively at him.

Dipper couldn't help but laugh. "You're so bipolar on this," he murmured. "One moment you think he's the worst person on earth, and the next you think we're perfect for one another."

"Not bipolar," Pacifica disagreed. "I just want what's good for you. I told you that you and Cipher completed each other a few months ago, and that hasn't changed. You guys just need to learn to work through your issues better."

"We're trying," Dipper mumbled, following suit. "It's... a work in progress, to say the least."

"Still progress, though," Pacifica reminded him, swiftly making her exit back into the kitchen, where Dipper could still hear the sound of running water and Mabel's enthusiastic chattering. What felt like a minute later, the water shut off.

Deciding that it would be best to get moving himself, Dipper went to go fetch his coat. If Bill really wanted to celebrate with him in private, he wasn't going to take the chance of catching a cold. Even if he  _ didn't  _ have any obligations to tend to the next day, it just wasn't worth the misery. He hesitated for just a moment when he got to the coat rack by the front entrance, then grabbed a second one coat.

Bill met him in the hallway on the way back to the kitchen, carrying a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a couple of bottles of wine coolers. "You about ready to head up?" he asked, a hint of excitement already in his tone.

Dipper grinned back, holding out the extra coat for him. "Just about," he agreed easily, looking over Bill's attire once. While the sweats and navy blue firework sweater coupled with a thick green scarf certainly wasn't the  _ worst  _ he could have done, Dipper still doubted it would be quite enough to fight off the chill of the night. "Here, this is for you."

Bill accepted the jacket in an awkward fashion, shuffling one of his arms around until the coat was draped over it kind of like a blanket. "Thanks. I probably won't put it on until we get everything set up though."

"I can take some of that for you," Dipper offered. "Since I'm not carrying anything."

"It'll be fine." Bill waved it off with a careful gesture of an arm. "But thanks anyway." They headed upstairs without saying much more to one another. Bill went ahead to the rooftop where they'd be spending the next couple of hours, and Dipper stopped along the way to grab a couple of blankets and some pillows. He wasn't sure if it would be cold enough to warrant two blankets exactly, but it certainly couldn't hurt in the way of making things more comfortable.

"It's really beautiful out here," was the first thing Bill murmured to him when Dipper finally joined him outside. He was sitting on the very edge of the roof with his feet dangling over the edge, staring off into the distance. "You humans never really appreciate what you have when it's there."

Dipper considered what he was saying for a moment, and nodded. "We do take things for granted," he agreed, inhaling deeply. He let the breath go slowly, taking with it all of his worries and inner fears. "Is... everything okay, Bill? You've seemed kind of off, today."

He hummed. "Yeah... I've just been thinking a lot."

"About?"

"Just life in general, I guess," Bill murmured noncommittally. "Seraphine, what our next moves are going to be, that kind of thing. Tad is still out there too, somewhere. We need to be ready, and I feel like we're not."

Dipper set the pillows down against the roof at their backs, then draped one of the blankets around Bill's shoulders before joining him. "I think we have enough time to get prepared though," he mused, accepting a drink from Bill when it was offered. "I feel like this past year has been a giant buildup, and we just made it over a swell, you know? We have a little while before the next one builds and crashes down around us again. And they've used up a lot of their tricks, I feel like. We have a little bit more of a general idea of what to expect, now."

"Point," Bill conceded.

They both fell into silence for a while as they munched on the cookies Mabel and Pacifica had made (Dipper would have to give them his compliments later) and sipped from their drinks, just enjoying one another's company. Dipper wasn't sure how much time was passing overall, but he didn't really care much. Bill had had a point, a long time ago- in the grand scheme of things, time really was meaningless.

Finally, Bill heaved out a long sigh. "We need to get Gideon," he murmured quietly, running a hand through his hair.

"Gideon?" Dipper asked in surprise, glancing over at him. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"He knows Seraphine the best," Bill explained, drawing his blanket a little tighter around his body. "And so he might be able to help us track her movements, might know what's going on inside her head."

Dipper saw the use in what he was saying, but regardless, he couldn't help but recoil. "So we have to go  _ get  _ him?"

"Unfortunately." Bill's lips twitched. "I think you'd be surprised at what you found though, Dipper. Prison's changed the kid."

"We'll be bringing him here, though?" Dipper questioned in distaste. "Not, like... back with his parents or something?"

Bill inhaled deeply, then exhaled it slowly, his breath fogging in the chill air. "No," he said quietly. "I don't know just how much you've really been paying attention to this town the past half a year, but Gideon's parents have moved on."

"Oh." Dipper wasn't really sure what to say to that. Moved on...? It sounded more like... more like how his own relationship with  _ his  _ parents had gone.

"We also need to deal with Tad," he said, changing the subject. "And I think I might know of a way we can do that. Do you remember, at the beginning of the summer, how Stanley recommended getting some protective tattoos?"

Bill hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah. Are you going to do it?"

"I think so..." Dipper said slowly. "Although... I know it could have negative consequences for you, couldn't it?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Bill dismissed casually. "What's more important is making sure he can't get to you, and so long as you can consciously fight against his presence, he shouldn't be able to get at you again."

"Mmmm," Dipper hummed noncommittally, thinking deeply. There was silence for a minute or two, and then he spoke again. "Do you think it's midnight yet?"

"Not sure," Bill replied. "Why?"

Dipper shrugged. "Just... kind of anticipating it. The sooner midnight hits, then sooner we can go to bed, you know?"

"Is that... something you want?" Bill asked slowly, turning his head to stare at Dipper. In the dark of the night, the blue of his eye seemed even brighter, even more captivating than it ever had before. Blushing, Dipper looked away as Bill spoke again. "Is to go to bed?"

"Eventually." Dipper's throat suddenly felt too dry, and he found that he couldn't voice the question he'd been wanting to know the answer to since before that evening. "Don't you? I... it's pretty cold out here."

He exhaled slowly, wrapping the blanket on his back a little tighter around himself. He was almost tempted to look over at Bill, but nerves stopped him. Despite being too nervous to look at him though, Dipper found that he had enough courage to finally breach the subject he’d wanted to bring up since Bill had returned.

"Bill, I-"

"Dipper-"

Dipper laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You go first," he offered.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," Bill rushed out, shifting his position ever so slightly so that he was facing more toward Dipper, but not so much that it was a full turn. "About- about us. Like, together." His brow furrowed in thought. "Unless that's not an option. But even so, we'd need to talk to clarify that."

Dipper sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. He moved to mimic Bill, thinking that it would be rude to not at least return the gesture. "It's definitely an option," he murmured, his voice a lot quieter than he would have preferred. "I- I actually wanted to talk to you about the same thing."

For a good moment, Bill stared at him with what Dipper could only think of as disdainful surprise drawn across his features. "Why... why didn't you come talk to me sooner then?" he asked, his voice cracking a bit in the beginning.

Dipper couldn't help but chuckle. "Why didn't  _ you?" _

"Nerves," Bill muttered, his tone resigned. He looked down at his lap, clasping his hands together. "I guess. It just never felt like the right time."

"That first night would have been a good time," Dipper pointed out.

Bill shook his head. "No," he disagreed. "Emotions were already running high, and it wouldn't have helped matters any."

"Point," Dipper conceded after a moment of thought. He hesitated before speaking again. "Would you... like to? Pick up where we left off in November, I guess?"

It was Bill who hesitated then, as he looked up at Dipper in a startled fashion. "It's not... it can't be that simple," he murmured in disbelief.

"Why not?" Dipper challenged quietly, feeling more confident now that he knew that he and Bill practically stood on the same ground. "You told me a few months ago that nothing had to change, that it was as simple as that. This is no different, when you think about it."

"But this  _ is  _ different!" Bill insisted, the words rushed. "I was wrong then, Dipper, we  _ have  _ changed, and-"

"I still don't think it matters in the long run," he interrupted gently. "Maybe we shouldn't just jump into things, sure, but I see no reason why not to try. If I want this, and you want this, then that should be fine."

Bill nodded slowly, seeming to consider what he was saying at length. Finally, after several moments of tentative silence, he spoke again. "That's... not so bad. We could do that."

Silence fell.

From where they were sitting, they could barely make out the sounds of what must have been Mabel and Pacifica celebrating the turn of the new year, and just over the treetops they could see fireworks being set off from in town. For what felt like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, they sat and enjoyed one another's tranquil company.

Finally, when Dipper could feel the chilly night air beginning to seep through the blanket around his shoulders, he broke the silence. "We should head inside now," he murmured.

"Mmmmmm," Bill hummed in agreement. "We should, probably."

"We're going to catch cold and die," Dipper pointed out, a small grin curling on his lips.

"It would probably be a nice death though," Bill mused, chuckling breathily.

"Too soon after the new year," Dipper said, shaking his head. He clumsily got to his feet and offered a hand out for Bill to take. He did, and Dipper pulled him to his feet, making the split second decision to lean in and press his lips chastely against Bill's cheek.

"For luck," he murmured when Bill just stared at him, blushing deeply. "It's tradition to do that at the beginning of the new year with a loved one."

The headed inside together, and Dipper was almost instantly grateful for the warm temperature of the house. Despite the fact that it had felt mostly okay outside, it was chilly enough that his hands had grown numb, and he rubbed them together in an attempt to get the painful tingling to stop.

"We should warm up pretty soon," Bill said, sounding just as uncomfortable as Dipper felt. He pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders, even though the fabric was cold too. "As soon as we get into bed, anyway. Remind me to put electric blankets on the shopping list."

"Will do," Dipper chuckled.

They wasted no time in slipping under the covers once they got to their shared room, Bill squishing himself as close to Dipper as possible even though there was still plenty of space left on the bed for him to occupy.

"Night Dipper, he whispered, smiling in an almost shy manner.

"Night Bill," Dipper hummed, closing his eyes. Despite all the excitement of the night, he fell asleep almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2017 has gotten away from me. There’s been a bunch of stuff going on in my personal life, amongst a few other things, and I think I can finally admit that I’ve bitten off way more than I can chew. I’ve made you guys wait a good ten months for an update, and that’s not fair to any of you. So, I’ve decided. Entropy will be going on hiatus, and when it comes back, the fic will be completed. I’ll either post the rest of it in one chunk, or do the chapters weekly. That’ll be up to you guys. I’m sorry. If you’ve stuck around, you hold my deepest gratitude. If you want to yell at me, to rant, go ahead. It’s okay, because it’s nothing more than I deserve for keeping you waiting this long. Thank you, for staying with me <3


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